Will of the Heart
by SamanthaLienne
Summary: People from their pasts start to appear when Ryoma goes back to America with Yukimura and Atobe for the UJF Cup. Now, old secrets and forgotten memories are bound to be revealed. Would they be able to live on unscathed or meet a bitter end?
1. The Letter

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of the characters.**

**Warning: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's**

**Pairing: **Still undetermined between—EchizenXAtobe or EchizenXYukimura or EchizenXAtobeXYukimura

**Full Summary:** A few weeks had already passed after Seishun Gakuen had gained victor over Rikkaidai Daigaku Fuzoku in the National Tournament. News had suddenly been sent over to Seigaku regarding a request for Echizen Ryoma to represent his previous school in America for the upcoming UJF Cup. But the most intriguing part is that a certain Atobe Keigo and Yukimura Seiichi are also going along with him. Suspicion arises as the trio flew back to America. Would the mysterious shroud of secrets be revealed?

**A/N:** Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. English is not my native language. This is my first attempt in writing a Prince of Tennis fan fiction so please bear with me. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it.

Now on with the story. . . .

**Chapter One**

_**The Letter**_

_He took a peek in the small gap left by the slightly opened door. Curiosity took the best of him as he saw his best friend Keigo kneeling by the carpeted floor while his father, Uncle Satoru stood before him looking at his son tenaciously. He involuntarily winced when he saw his Uncle move towards Keigo and shook the boy vigorously. Keigo yelped in pain when his father clutched his shoulders, nails almost digging on his flesh._

"_**I don't have a son like you. You're a disgrace to the family!"**_

_His eyes widened when he saw Uncle Satoru lunge towards his helpless and fallen friend with his cane in hand. On impulse he pushed open the door and jumped up towards the scene, shielding Keigo from harms way. _

"_**Ryoma!" **__He gained a brief eye contact with the older man and he saw how his eyes widened upon his sudden appearance. It was too late for him to prevent the cane from gaining contact with his body._

"_**Ryoma get away." **__Keigo yelled in fear. Tears were flowing abundantly down his eyes as he desperately tried to push him away. It was one of those moments of vulnerability his friend rarely shows. But he refused to let go as he tightened his hold on his friend's fragile and crumpled form._

_Suddenly a burning pain had hit him, throwing his lithe body across the room. He heard something crash and broke as he fell on the floor with a loud thud. Unmoving and numb. His vision became hazy and the last thing he knew was Keigo rushing up to him and crying his name out. _

Ryoma instantly bolted up from his bed, drenched in sweat and shaking slightly. It was that same dream he had been having for the past few days. It was like some forgotten memory that kept on reminding him of something he couldn't even remember happening. The dream had been bothering him for quite a while now. Every time he wakes up he would always feel like a part of him was missing, and a cold nagging feeling of emptiness burns within him. No matter how he tried, he just couldn't stop thinking what it was all about. He tends to space out, in class and even in tennis practice. Even his senpai's are starting to get concerned about him because of his unusual behavior.

His alarm clock then started ringing and he sighed. Turning off the noise maker, he kicked off his blankets and walked towards his bathroom. Maybe a nice cold bath would make him feel better again. It was still an hour too early when he finished preparing for school. He grabbed his tennis bag and walked downstairs.

"Ohayo Ryoma sama," Nanako greeted cheerfully while she was busy bustling around the dining area preparing his favorite Japanese breakfast.

He plopped himself down onto his chair and greeted her back in his usual bored tone. "Ohayo."

"You seem to have woken up earlier than usual today," she noted while placing down the grilled fish down the table.

He nodded without offering any further explanation. "Ittadakimasu." He started chugging down his meal.

"Is there something bothering you?" she asked after sitting down beside him. He blinked, breaking out from his musings and looked at her. He just shook his head and finished his meal in one swift move before pushing himself back up and grabbed his bag. "I'm going to school."

As expected, only a few students were already at school. It was too early after all. He ignored the surprised look he got from the school guard, when he entered the school gates. He knew what the old man was thinking._ 'He's early.'_ Honestly, is it such a phenomenal thing if he would go to school earlier than usual for once?

He tugged the tip of his white cap lower as he made his way to the changing room of the tennis club. After changing to his tennis uniform he started warming up for morning practice.

"Ryoma, I see that you are here quite early," Ryuzaki sensei said as she came out from the administration building of the school.

"Che." He muttered while running towards the ball and hit it back on the wall. '_Great, this is just something I need. Another person mentioning how early I was.'_ He thought sarcastically.

"It is a good thing that you're already here. There's an important matter I need to discuss with you."

He gracefully caught the ball with his hand and turned to their tennis coach. "Nande?"

She pushed her hand down on her pocket and fished out a small white envelope from inside. "Here you better read this," she said handing him out the envelope.

He shot her a confused look before getting the material. He flipped the paper and recognized the familiar seal stuck on the flap. "Herrington?" he mumbled incoherently as he peeled it open. A sudden feeling of dread over took him as he started reading the letter. Somehow he felt that whatever the letter states, it is nothing good.

♥●♥♥●♥♥♥●♥♥♥♥●

Atobe threw on his white robe before heading towards the outdoor pool area, where the rest of the Hyotei regulars are lounging at. Earlier that morning he had decided to give the school a call, and ask the teachers to give them the day off from school. They were wise enough not to contradict his requests and just willingly agreed with him. They knew that failure to comply to ore sama's wishes would mean death, not in the literal sense I mean. In simpler terms they would be getting the taste of the divas infamous wrath.

"Obocchama."

He stopped his tracks and looked back. He saw the butler of the household approaching him.

"Obocchama, a letter had been delivered for you." He bowed at him politely before giving him the said parcel.

He raised his brows and accepted it. Upon entering the pool area he immediately spotted Jiroh carelessly draped on one of the beach chairs, lined up just beside the pool side, snoring loudly. It didn't surprise him to see Hyotei's 'sleeping beauty' wandering off to lala land. He was already asleep anyway when the regulars arrived at Atobe mansion earlier that morning. The rest where soaking them selves in the water, with Gakuto showing off his acrobatic skills while swimming back and forth on the Olympic sized pool.

"Oi Gakuto would you stop showing off. You're making me dizzy," Shishido yelled from the other end of the pool.

"You're just envious that I'm better than you," the acrobat mocked as he continued his swimming exhibition.

A vein ticked off on Shishido's forehead as he dove towards the other. "Yamero Shishido san," Choutarou yelled after his doubles partner.

The two were already off on an intense swimming battle. Oshitari smacked his forehead and shook his head in exasperation as he too swam forward to help Choutarou stop the two. Kabaji on the other hand was busy keeping an eye on Atobe's pet dog, which was rolling on the grass while harassing his chew bone. Hiyoshi, was just leaning back on the shallow area of the pool.

He silently slipped back on one of the empty beach chairs and took a better look at the letter. His forehead creased a little as he saw the seal pasted on the envelope. He flipped it back up to take note of the return address. "Herrington University Tennis Council."

A small, barely visible smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he started tearing away the edges of the envelope. "This is interesting." He smirked as he unfolded the letter. Indeed, the message was something interesting as his smile grew wider than usual.

He folded it back and inserted it on the envelope. He graciously stood up from his seat and called out to his team members. "We're going to school. Kabaji wake Jiroh up."

"USU," he replied and moved towards the sleeping regular.

With that Atobe walked back inside the mansion leaving the others confused.

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Yukimura smiled as he slipped the letter, he had just read a while ago, back on his tennis bag. He was busy preparing for morning practice when a member of the tennis club handed him out a letter which according to him had just arrived a while ago. He was a bit surprised to see that it was from his previous school in the U.S., the prestigious Herrington University. It is considered as one of the best teaching units in the states. With complete year levels, ranging from grade school up to college. Not only had it been commended for its academic excellence it was also known for its outstanding sports organizations, most specifically the tennis club. It is the reigning champion in both divisions: Senior and Junior.

Professional Tennis Associations are also noted to have been keeping an eye on some of the most promising players that had blossomed on the team. But three of those notable players, mainly the previous captain, vice captain and manager who were previous students of the school are long gone to a different country and separate schools.

He hadn't heard anything from the school for three years ever since he moved back to Japan with his family. And now not only had they been mailing him, they were also inviting him as a representative.

"_Mr. Yukimura Seiichi,_

_A pleasant day!_

_The American Tennis Association had been overjoyed and impressed with the outstanding results of this years Goodwill games. Thus a rare agreement had been passed on within the organization._

_A competition, UJF Cup, would be held in American lands a month from now. As the acronym implies three countries would be participating in the competition. Namely U.S.A, Japan and France. The aim would be to promote sportsmanship among fellow players, strengthen friendly ties and encourage others to play the game. Selected members from various schools would be representing their countries. However, a special rule had been imposed. The schools may chose whoever player they would like to earn the slot on the representing team, may it be a current or a graduate student._

_The Tennis Council of Herrington together with the current tennis club regulars had discussed the matters at hand and we came to the agreement that it would be wise to send three of our best past tennis members; Echizen Ryoma, Yukimura Seiichi and Atobe Keigo, as a representative of the school._

_Selection Camp would start a month before the actual competition, so as to prepare for it. In behalf of the whole tennis society of Herrington, we would like to invite you as a representative of the school. We would be hoping for your kindest consideration regarding the invitation. Kindly contact us as soon as you come to a definite decision._

_Respectfully yours,_

_James Brown_

_Herrington Tennis Club Coach"_

He stood up from the wooden bench he was seating at and grabbed his racket lying on the other side. He walked directly towards the outdoor tennis courts were their coach had asked them to assemble earlier. According to him, he would be giving a very important announcement. He was oblivious just like the others right before he read the note. So now he was clearly guessing that the announcement has something to do with the upcoming competition. Upon arriving, he saw that everyone where already on their respective lines. "Hmmm, it seems that they are also eager about this one," he shrugged and took his place beside the Rikkaidai Fukubuchou.

The coach looked at his direction briefly before turning his attention to the others. "I had asked all of you to assemble here today for a very important announcement. Yesterday evening, I had received a call from the American Tennis Association."

Yukimua mentally cheered. _'I was right. This has got something to do with the competition.'_

"They would like to express how overjoyed they were for the good results of this years Goodwill games. They were also impressed on the dedication this years Japanese Team had showed for the matches. Therefore they had come to an agreement that for friendly purposes, another competition would be held. The UJF Cup. Wherein, three major countries would be participating. Mainly U.S.A, Japan and France."

"Sensei you mean that two countries would be traveling here in Japan and compete with us?" Renji asked after raising his hand.

"This competition would be held in America a month from now."

"America?!" they exclaimed in excitement except for Sanada who was silently pondering over this knew bit of information.

"How would the players for the representing team be chosen?" Jackal spoke up next.

"The procedure would be the same as that of the Senbatsu camp. Selected players from different schools would be going to camp and the players would then be chosen afterwards."

Akaya snickered. "So I could take my revenge sooner than I expected. I would surely be chosen for that lineup and not that Echizen brat." Everyone sweat dropped.

Marui blew his bubble gum and started chewing again. "Well if you would be able to beat Yukimura Buchou. There's a chance that he would be taking a slot this time."

"I had already chosen the players who would be going to camp," the coach called out, catching everyone's focus again. "It would be Sanada Genichirou, Kirihara Akaya and Marui Bunta."

Everyone was silent before words sank in, that their respected Buchou was not included in the line up.

"NANI!!!"

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Echizen yawned as he listened to Ryuzaki sensei make her announcement. He already knew about it anyway so he didn't find any use for him to listen to her anymore. He just busied himself in drinking his Ponta or checking the strings of his racket. As usual, everyone had turned into their hyper mode as soon as they heard of the competition.

"For this camp, I decided to send all of the regulars," Ryuzaki sensei ended her speech. "Ganbatte minna."

"This is rather unexpected. Another competition, only a few days after Nationals had ended." Fuji said thoughtfully. He turned to his 'boyfriend' Tezuka who remained immovable despite the shocking news. Their pseudo relationship had been made formal and public a day after the Nationals. Nobody was shocked since they already saw it coming anyway. Considering the tensai's obvious attachment to the captain. "Ne Tezuka what do you think?"

The stoic captain just shrugged.

"Interesting turn of events," Inui mumbled out as he started scribbling down his notebook.

"Hoi Hoi I'm going to America," Eiji grinned and showed his familiar V sign.

Momoshiro laughed. "Viva America."

"Fsshhh, Baka Momoshiro. How can you be so sure that you'd be included when you weren't in the Senbatsu camp?" Kaidoh hissed disdainfully.

"Teme. Are you looking for a fight Mamushi?," Momo balled his fist with a vein almost popping out of his head.

"Bring it on baka Peach," He challenged, matching the latter's burning stare. Everyone gulped as they almost saw electric sparks being transmitted between the two.

"Yamero Momo, Kaidoh," Oishi yelled and stepped in between the two.

"Nya, Let's do our best Ochibi," Eiji glomped the freshman enthusiastically.

"Ittai," he grimaced when he felt like the acrobatic redhead was choking the life out of him.

"I forgot to tell you. Echizen won't be participating in this camp," Ryuzaki sensei added, and Echizen shot her a glare almost saying that _'Thanks a lot for remembering.'_

That caught everyone off guard. Momoshiro and Kaidoh, who were busy fisting with each others clothes, had stopped their fight and just stared at the coach.

"Hoi?" was the only thing the surprised acrobat managed to say.

Fuji even snapped his eyes open when he heard what the coach said. "Ano. . . Ryuzaki sensei what do you exactly mean by that?"

"Echizen would be going back to America."

"America!!," the startled tennis members yelled in unison. Echizen chose that it was the right time to slowly drift away since no one would even notice him escaping. He doesn't want to waste his time explaining to them why he wouldn't be joining the camp.

"Ochi—" Eiji couldn't finish what he was saying when he noticed that the freshman was already nowhere to be found. "Nya where's Ochibi?"

"That Ryoma," Ryuzai sensei shook her head in exasperation.

"Sensei what do you mean Echizen's going back to America?" Horio, the self proclaimed member with two years of tennis experience, spoke up.

"His former school in America Herrington University had informed us that he was chosen to represent the school for the selection camp." She said trying to make her explanation brief.

"So you mean that there's a possibility that Echizen might face off with us during the matches?" Fuji inquired as he quickly understood what their coach was pointing at.

The older woman nodded her head in agreement. "But isn't it that Echizen is enrolled here in Seigaku. Wouldn't that be violating any rules?" Tezuka decided it's time for him to voice out his own thoughts.

"No, because a special rule had been imposed. The schools may chose whoever player they would like to earn the slot on the representing team, may it be a current or a graduate student. Which means that Echizen is very much qualified to play for them."

"But why would they want Echizen to play for them instead of just choosing from their current tennis club members?" Taka asked curiously.

"Their tennis council and the current members of the team had agreed upon this decision of choosing Echizen as one of their representatives. Ryoma was the former captain of the tennis club of the school adding to the fact that he is currently the U.S. Open champion for Juniors division."

"Captain!!!!"

She nodded. "He was a fifth grader when he achieved the title of Captain for the tennis club. At that time there was a rift between the tennis club for Juniors and Seniors. The captain of the Seniors club had then challenged Ryoma for a match. Whoever wins would be captain for both teams?"

"Echizen won," Momoshiro said mouth hanging open.

"Yes he won six games to love. After he assumed the position of Captain for both teams, he had managed to bring consecutive wins in the Nationals that made them the invinsible team in American Tennis."

"No wonder he's such a cocky brat, fsssshh," Kaidoh hissed equally perturbed by the information.

"Given the situation there's a possibility that the players who might dominate the positions for the Japanese team would be Tezuka, Sanada, Tachibana and some other players." Inui deduced as he examined his notes.

"What about Atobe and Yukimura?," Oishi looked at the data master.

"According to my data those two wouldn't be participating in this camp just like Echizen. Possibility 98 percent" His glasses flashed as he closed his notebook.

"Yes there's a possibility that Inui's analysis could be correct given the fact that Atobe was the former Fukubuchou of Herrington and Yukimura as the former Manager of the team."

"Fukubuchou—"

"Manager—"

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In Hyotei the same announcement was being made. The reactions he got from the regulars to the ordinary Hyotei populace was the same: shock. Jiroh who was listening to the announcement earlier instantly woke up upon hearing that Atobe wouldn't be joining them. After the ruckus, Sakaki sensei had decided to dismiss them earlier than usual. On their way back to the Atobe mansion, Jiroh was still whining about why Atobe wouldn't be coming along with them.

"Atobe are you sure you would accept that invitation?" Shishido asked.

He shrugged. "Yes. I know that the council already knew what Ore sama's answer would be, even before they sent the letter." He peered on his compact mirror making sure that not a single strand of his elegant hair was out of place. "Besides, with ore sama vacating my sure spot in the participants I would be giving all of you a much bigger chance in participating."

Shishido rolled his eyes and just decided to join the others who were back in waddling in the pool.

He stopped flicking his hair in place when he felt his cellular phone vibrating in his pocket. He closed his mirror and fished out his phone. "Be awed by ore sama's magnificent voice. Who is the unworthy soul who had dared to call Ore sama?" he said his usual welcome greeting whenever he picks up a call.

He heard light laughter from the other side which he easily recognized. "Yukimura." He stated plainly.

"I see that you're still the ever vain Ore sama from before," the Rikkaidai buchou commented.

"What do you want? Ore sama is busy and I don't want to waste my precious time exchanging crappy lines with you." He huffed arrogantly making the other laugh again.

"Well I was just wondering if you had received a letter from Herrington?"

"So this is what it's all about."

"Yes."

"Ore sama did receive one a while ago."

"I see." He fell silent as if thinking for something else to say. "Would you be accepting it then?"

"Of course. Ore sama decided to give them another glimpse of Ore sama's prowess given that they were politely asking for it."

"I see."

"And I suppose you would also accept the invitation, No." He said eyes drifting off towards the sunny sky.

"Yes. I already told the rest of the team regarding my decision. . ."

"Ryoma?"

"He already received one this morning. According to Renji, Ryoma would be going to America as well."

"I see." He sighed.

"Do you think it's time for us to fix what went wrong in the past?"

He fell silent. Really not knowing what else there is to say. "Let time take its course. Acting so irrationally at this kind time wouldn't do any of us any good." That's all he had decided to point out.

"I suppose you're right. Everything would eventually be alright."

♥●♥♥●♥♥♥●♥♥♥♥●

"Tadaima!!" He removed his shoes and stacked it back on the shoe rack before wearing his house slippers.

"Okaeri Nasai," Nanako replied from the house.

Nanjiro appeared from the kitchen, and he caught a glimpse of his father's magazine hidden underneath his robe. "Oi seishounen, you're late." He yelled.

"Che." He walked past his ranting father and walked upstairs.

"Aren't you eating dinner?," his mother Rinko was the next to appear in the room. He looked at his mother apologetically. "I'm not hungry. I would be going back to America tomorrow to represent Herrington in the UJF cup." He turned back on his heels and continued going up to his room not seeing the worried expressions his parents were pointing at him.

Unknown to him they already know about his impending journey to America tomorrow morning. Coach Ryuzaki already told them earlier.

"Do you think he would be alright?" Rinko asked her husband worriedly.

"Kei-chan and Sei-chan would be there with him." He reminded her.

"I hope so." She sighed before taking another look at the reaction where her son went off too.

Ryoma zipped open his traveling bag and started arranging the things he would be bringing to America. As he rummaged through his closet he managed to knock down a small frame buried from his thick pile of clothing.

"Meow," Karupin started rubbing off his feet and he gave the cat a small pet before crouching down to get the fallen object.

Recognition immediately dawned on him as he saw what it was. It was a picture of him with Atobe and Yukimura taken a few years ago in Herrington with them wearing their regular jerseys. A small bitter smile formed on his lips as he gently traced the outline of his ex-best friends smiling faces.

"_Ryoma I'm sorry but I'm going back to Japan with my family," Atobe said monotonously and walked out of the door._

"_Ryoma chan I'm going to Japan," Yukimura said without looking at him and left the room in a haste._

Ryoma felt the tears that were starting to form down at the corner of his eyes when he remembered the bitter memory of his past, which he had decided to bury along with other memories he wish not remember anymore. But the wound was still fresh after all, like it had only happened yesterday. Atobe left him alone. And so did Yukimura. They both left him.

He angrily brushed the tear that had escaped his eyes before throwing back the picture frame on the thrash can. _"It's the past Ryoma. You chose to move on. There's no need to turn back now and be hurt again. They're not worthy of your tears."_

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**A/N:**

Herrington University and UJF Cup are just products of my wild imagination. While the American Tennis Association, if ever there really is one, then I am sure you already know that I don't own it. Similarities of nicknames used with other stories are unintentional.

I am also looking for someone who can be my trustworthy editor. Anyone who are interested please drop me an e-mail.

So what do you guys think? Should I continue or not? Please read and review. Reviews are very much appreciated. Constructive criticisms, can be tolerated. But NO FLAMES please.


	2. Journey to America

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of the characters.**

**Warning: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's**

**Pairing: **Still undetermined between—EchizenXAtobe or EchizenXYukimura or EchizenXAtobeXYukimura

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **ChibisukeGirl, Haninozuka Mitsukuni, Gwynhafra, apocadelic, RuByMoOn17, SupernaturalFreak1, Rumiko Yoshida, FlyingShadow666, 1xmocha, DemonGirl13, Tressa, Tuli-Susi, xJade, Empress Satori, animegurl088 and Trumpet-Geek

**A/N **I am sorry for the long update, my computer crashed again _die virus die _Stupid viruses. Anyway I am really thankful to all those who had submitted a review on my first chapter. I never knew that it is possible for me to gain that much review in just one chapter. Normally, I only get three comments and if I'm lucky enough I would have five. And half of those contain things about my crappy English and my sappy plot. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter. . .

Special thanks to Gwynhafra for pointing out to me the thing about the anonymous review being disabled. Thanks. . .

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it.

Now onwards we go. . .

**Chapter Two**

_**Journey to America**_

Ryoma placed his hand under his chin as he continued poking on his American breakfast absent mindedly. He yawned and looked up just in time to see his mother and cousin Nanako running back and forth inside the house. He was still sleepy since he didn't even get enough shut eye last night. He just kept tossing and turning around his bed with different thoughts bugging his head. Most of it has something to do with his trip to America and being with Yukimura and Atobe after almost three years of their absence.

His father, who looked like he had just woken up a while ago, appeared in the dining room door.

"What's all the bustling about? Is there a fire in here?" He said lazily as he sat down on his chair where his share of breakfast was already waiting for him.

"Ryoma's flight is today Nanjiroh. Don't tell me you forgot about it again." Rinko shot her husband a glare when she caught sight of his perverted magazine, peeking out from under his sleeves.

"Oh yeah the brat is going away for a whole month," he said and simply pushed the nearly exposed magazine under his sleeve, trying to hide it from his wife's watchful stare. "Peace and quiet at last." He picked up his toasted bread and smudged it with butter.

"Baka Oyaji," Ryoma muttered as he saw the magazine slipping out again.

"Oi seishounen make sure to find beautiful blonde girls when you're there." He reminded.

"Che I'm not a pervert like you," he said and crossed his arms in front of his chest eyeing his father bitterly.

"Don't waste those magnificent girl magnet genes you had luckily inherited from me. Make me proud for once. Go find some nice chic in America and introduce her to us." He muttered. "Hey are you going to finish your breakfast?" He asked pointing to his plate still full of his untouched food.

"No."

Nanjiroh leaned on the table and slid the plate back on his side and emptied it on his plate. "Just make sure it's a hot lady." He continued while feasting on his newly restocked plate. "Not someone like that Baba." He shuddered. He was talking about Coach Ryuzaki.

Ryoma just shook his head in frustration as he watched his father empty the plate in one swift move. Satisfied with his meal, Nanjiroh gave out a loud burp before raising his hands beside his head making his hidden treasures, his magazines, to accidentally fall out on the floor for, all the world to see.

'_So there wasn't only one magazine in that robe. No wonder it made Oyaji look so fat.' _ He thought as he looked at the bundle of magazines lying helplessly on the floor. Ryoma smirked as he watched the horror in his father's eyes as he looked at his precious magazines tumble down the floor in a heap.

Ryoma walked out the door, an ever innocent smirk plastered on his lips. "Okaasan, Oyaji is keeping porn magazines again." After throwing one last look at his horrified father he walked upstairs and went to his room.

"Nanjiroh, I thought I told you to stop subscribing to those perverted magazines." Rinko yelled.

Ryoma snickered as he started taking his short bath.

"Anata it's not mine. I swear to you. It's Ryoma's. That kid is a pervert I tell you. A bratty pervert"

"Stop using your son to cover up your obvious perversity." Rinko shouted back. He heard something crashing downstairs followed by footsteps dashing towards the direction of the front door.

He walked back out to his bedroom while towel drying his hair. He carelessly tossed the wet towel on the chair and got dressed. He put on a plain red shirt and topped it off with a pale blue sleeveless hoodie. Instead of the usual black shorts he decided to wear denim jeans.

"You're going to pay for this damn brat. You're grounded for a month." Nanjiroh cursed before his voice finally disappeared.

"Che as if you could ground me. I'm going to America baka oyaji," he muttered under his breath and got the cat cage sitting beside his bedroom door. Karupin jumped down from the bed and rubbed his feet. He gently nudged Karupin inside the cage he would be using to carry his cat.

Nanako entered the room carrying good luck charms in her hands and some medicine bottles. "I went to the temple this morning and got you these charms." She said cheerfully and handed it to him.

"Why three?," he asked as soon as he got hold of the charms.

"The other two are for Keigo and Seiichi." She said while stuffing down the medicine bottles on the pocket of his bag. "There, I already packed the medicines." She said after zipping the pocket back up and gave it a small pat to make the small lump smoothen out again.

"I'm not going on a jungle Nanako chan. There's no need for me to bring those medicines." He remarked while making sure that the cage had been locked properly.

"You'll never know when you'll need one, so it's best for you to bring some along with you," she explained and extended the handle of his bag. "I suppose we should start heading out now. Your flight is in thirty minutes."

He nodded and followed her out of the room.

"Oh you're bringing Karupin along with you." She noted seeing him carrying the cage while they were going downstairs.

"I'd be gone for a month so I decided to just bring Karupin along with me."

"Sou da ne. I think that Karupin would be missing you too considering that you'd be gone for a while." She agreed and they both went out of the door.

Upon stepping out of the house, he immediately saw the smoke coming from his baka oyaji's magazines which were being burned by his mom in the front yard. Nanjiroh looked like he was dying as his mom threw the last piece of magazine on to the fire. Satisfied with her finished deed, Rinko walked towards Ryoma and Nanako, leaving Nanjiroh who was still in the middle of mourning over his treasures.

"My precious," Nanjiroh murmured with quivering lips. Ryoma fought the urge to roll his eyes. Trust his father to be so cheesy over things like this.

"Come on Ryoma we better get going soon. We wouldn't want you to be late for your flight now. do we?" Rinko said smiling at her son while placing his luggage at the trunk of the waiting cab.

"Nanjiroh stop your dramatics and get on the cab," she told her husband sternly.

Nanjiroh threw one last look at the pile of ashes before boarding the cab dejectedly. He looked at the head mirror and threw Ryoma an icy glare. If looks could kill, he would have already fallen dead on the cab right then and there.

"Mada Mada dane Oyaji."

♥●♥♥●♥♥♥●♥♥♥♥●

"Are you ready for the trip Yukimura?," Sanada asked while they were heading back to the airport lobby after getting some snacks from the cafeteria. They had arrived there an hour earlier after Sanada had picked him up from home. Nobody from his family was available to see him off since they were busy with their jobs.

"Yes, though I feel really bad for leaving the team behind just like that," he confessed while unwrapping his burger.

"Don't worry, we're going to be fine. Besides, I think it would be nice if we would be able to go against you guys in this tournament." He assured.

"Make sure that those people who weren't chosen by the coach wouldn't be slacking off."

"Aa."

"Yukimura!!!!"

"Yukimura Buchou."

He smiled seeing that the rest of the team where already there.

"Sorry we're late. Marui insisted that we stop by the cake shop to buy you some food." Jackal explained scratching his head.

"It's the least we could do you know. It's not nice to let your captain leave without even bothering to give him a gift," Marui voiced out while waving his finger in front of the said player. "Here. It's my favorite cake." He said and handed him the delicately wrapped cake box.

"Arigato Marui," he thanked.

"Do your best Yukimura, just like these guys here." Renji said stepping out from behind the group.

"Che. We all know that Yukimura Buchou would be included in that line up anyways. So why should we be worried," Kirihara huffed arrogantly.

"Now Kirihara. We can never be too sure. There are a lot more powerful and skilled players out there." Yukimura said ruffling the boy's hair affectionately.

He frowned.

"You shouldn't underestimate your opponents."

"Being too at ease with your skills might be a fatal blow for you in the end."

"Besides, with Echizen, Yukimura and Atobe's sure spots being vacated, the selection camp would be harder than it was during the Senbatsu camp. The participants would surely be putting up everything just to be in their spots," Sanada added out.

"Fine. So you better be careful Sanada Fukubuchou. I might take that spot away from you," Kirihara said smugly. "One can never be too sure now, right?"

"Nice one Kirihara," Yukimura cheered, as he saw the incredulous look the Rikkaidai vice captain sported after Kiriharas lewd comment.

They suddenly looked up when someone started cheering noisily inside the airport. "There." Renji said pointing towards the right side of the airport were a group of girls were standing while waving their banners.

"Che it's the brats annoying fan club," Kirihara grimaced when he saw the name written on the said banners.

"Ryoma sama!!!! Ryoma sama Ganbatte!!!."

"R-Y-O-M-A. . . . RYOMA!!!!"

"Fight-O!!!! Fight-O!!! Fight-O!!!"

Ryoma appeared from the main entry with his family walking beside him. He looked at the noise makers, who were currently on the verge of hyperventilating when he arrived, before shaking his head. He stalked towards his own team where their acrobatic player, which if he is not mistaken is called Eiji Kikumaru a part of the famous Golden Pair, had started glomping the said freshman.

He smiled seeing how fond they are of Ryoma. He looked away and saw Nanjiroh staring back at him. He nodded at the older man who he hadn't seen for a long time. He glanced at Ryoma and noticed that the Hyoutei regulars, except for Atobe and Kabaji who aren't there yet, had already joined in with Seigaku.

"Come on we better join them," he motioned for his team to come along with him.

♥●♥♥●♥♥♥●♥♥♥♥●

Everybody was already at the airport when they arrived. Everyone, meaning Seigaku, Rikkaidai and Hyoutei, except for Monkey King and his sidekick. Each of them where huddled along together with their respective teams. But amongst the three, Seigaku is by far the most noticeable. With Tomoka and the rest of Ryoma's fanclub members making farewell cheers for him just like the time when he went away for the U.S. Open.

"Ochibi," Eiji the ever enthusiastic acrobat exclaimed in excitement and bounced off towards him.

"Eiji senpai, Ittai," he coughed, almost dropping Karupin's cage in the process. The said cat made distinct noises, trying to show its discomfort of almost being thrown away.

"Eiji… let go of Echizen. He's already turning blue," Oishi said worriedly as he tried removing his doubles partners arm that is chocking the poor freshman.

"Mou Oshi you're no fun," Eiji pouted but immediately smiled back when he noticed Karupin, who was currently sticking its paws out from the iron bars of the cage door. "Ohayo Karupin." He smiled at the cat and shook its paws.

Ryoma placed the cage down the floor and let his Eiji senpai play with his cat for a while.

"Do your best there Ryoma," Ryuzaki sensei smiled and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Uisu." He muttered and tugged the brim of his cap lower to hide his eyes.

Inui who was busy reading his notes walked beside him. "There's a hundred percent probability that you'd be in the line up but still, you need to do your best," Inui patted his back, glasses flashing towards him.

"Ha-Hai." He stammered.

"Fsssshhhh. . . kick their butts brat," Kaidoh hissed keeping his distance away from the group.

Momo raised his brows at the other and decided it's high time for him to tease the snake. "Touchy aren't we Mamushi." He laughed boisterously.

Kaidoh blushed. "Fssshhhh."

"What? Cat got your tongue," he taunted.

Karupin meowed in response. The two just continued their argument suddenly oblivious of their companion's worried looks.

"We'd be cheering for you Echizen." Taka-san and Oishi senpai assured him.

"Arigato."

"Ganbatte Echizen," Fuji smiled and patted his head.

Tezuka looked at him sternly. "Yudan sezu ni ikkou."

"Hai." He already expected his captain to say that line considering that it seems to be his favorite 'quote' of encouragement. Fuji then spun around and got something from the bench behind him.

"Those are our gifts for you," he smiled cheerfully and handed him the large paper bag.

He stared at the bag before nodding to his senpai. "Arigato gozaimasu."

"Oi Kikumaru are you still as lousy as you where before in acrobatics," Gakuto, Hyouteis own acrobatic player appeared behind them with his team mates in tow.

Eiji stood up from his crouching position and narrowed his eyes at the Hyoutei player. "Why don't we just have a jumping contest to see whose better, Kangaroo." He challenged.

"Bring it on Carrot head." The two ran off on the vacant spot of the airport and started challenging each other.

"Ohayo Ryo chan," Yukimura's gentle voice wafted through his ears.

He was too engrossed in watching Gakuto and Eiji in their match that he didn't even notice when Rikkaidai decided to join them. He whirled around and saw Yukimura standing right behind him. He looked up to him and saw that familiar smile on his face.

"O-Ohayo Sei-chan," he responded, completely taken aback by the unexpected greeting from the Rikkaidai captain. Though they had bumped each others elbows several times already, especially during the Nationals, the other didn't really bother acknowledging his presence. Well neither did Ryoma.

"Tezuka I'm looking forward in seeing you in the tournament," Yukimura turned to his captain who was silently watching them. He just nodded in response.

Atobe then decided to make his appearance, walking along the airport graciously with Kabaji walking right behind him, obviously. He snapped his fingers and Kabaji stopped. Atobe made his way towards him and Yukimura before his eyes drifted off to Karupin.

"Oi Ryoma it seems that you decided to bring along that trashy looking cat of yours after all," Atobe said airily as he ordered Kabaji to lay down the cage he was carrying, in front of Karupin's. He caught a glimpse of Atobe's pet dog inside the said cage.

He smirked. "Coming from the monkey king who owns a flee bag. Move that monstrosity away from my cat before it catches your mangy dog's parasite."

Seeing the shocked expression from Atobe's face was priceless. His mouth dropped open, clearly insulted that his dog had been looked down upon just like that. Face reddening, he glared at Ryoma. "Ore sama's dog doesn't have flees. Those are only existent on plebeians unworthy pets. Ore sama does not allow his equally royal pet to be infested with such low life creatures."

"Right," he muttered sarcastically and took Karupin's cage away. His cat was already starting to show how aggravated it was by its constant snarls and pawing. Atobe's dog was barking along, well considering how small it was the bark came out like a squeak. "Your dog just scared my cat thank you very much."

"I see that your ancient cat have not seen royal blooded creatures, ever since it sprouted into existence, such as ore samas dog that is why it easily gets threatened by something more superior." Atobe grinned down at him.

"Ara, Keigo. Will you stop insulting my gift to Ryo chan? You shouldn't be treating such a helpless creature the way you do. Felines aren't that nice when they are angered you know." Yukimura said smiling innocently. Everyone gulped and glanced at Fuji who also has the same expression as that off Yukimura. An aura of sadism was reeking out from the captain that made everyone around him shudder involuntarily.

Atobe's lips twitched a little but didn't bother saying another word. He turned around and got his mirror from his pocket before staring to check his hair. "Why is this flight taking so long?" he asked instead while giving his hair one last flick.

"It's delayed. Didn't you hear the announcement?" Ryoma rebutted.

"How dare these people make Ore sama wait? I should have just taken a flight in Ore samas private plane instead." He reacted closing the mirror with a loud snap

"Well you should have," Ryoma pulled the tab of his Ponta that Yukimura got for him went he went to get some drink from the vending machines.

"Come Kabaji. Ore sama needs to hear their reasonable explanations for making a royal blood such as myself to wait for a public plane." He said striding off.

Ryoma saw Yukimura give him a look and he sighed. "Oi Keigo. Stop being a monkey king will you? The plane's only delayed for ten minutes not for a day." He said in exasperation.

"_The preparations for the delayed flight JL006 bound for New York had just finished. Passengers please proceed to gate five."_

"See," Ryoma drawled lazily.

"Whatever." He scoffed.

Yukimura turned towards his team. "Minna we're leaving now," he said while giving each one of them a pat in the shoulder. He turned to his fukubuchou. "Sanada make sure these people would behave while I'm away. I'm just one call away if something happens."

"Aa," Sanada nodded.

"Oi, make sure that one of you would be able to play for the tournament. I already gave up my sure spot in the line up so don't waste it," Atobe reminded the Hyotei regulars. "Right Kabaji?"

"Usu."

"Itte kimasu," Ryoma looked it his mother and bowed his head.

"Take care of yourself Ryoma."

"Kei-chan. . .Sei-chan. . .Make sure seishounen here wouldn't get into any trouble alright?" Nanjiroh reminded the two boys ignoring his sons piercing eyes.

"You can count on us, Nanjiroh san."

"Fine, Ore sama would make sure this brat wouldn't be a headache."

"Come on Ryo chan let's go." Yukimura said energetically and hooked his arms on Ryomas.

Ryoma just shrugged and allowed Yukimura to drag him off. But he stopped when he remembered something. "Ryo chan?" Yukimura asked puzzled as to why he suddenly made a halt. He watched as Ryoma got something out from his pocket.

"Here, Nanako got them for you," he said handing him and Atobe some charms. "I think that monkey king here really needs one. It might help him bring the bad spirits away from his body. It wouldn't do us any good having a bad spirit sitting near us." Ryoma snickered and started walking again.

They heard Atobe's smug reply but decided to ignore it anyways.

♥●♥♥●♥♥♥●♥♥♥♥●

Everyone in the bus was silent as it made its way back to Seishun Gakuen. They were somewhat bothered about something that has to do with the trio: Echizen, Yukimura and Atobe. They had that some kind of familiarity between one another that they hadn't noticed for the past few months. Yukimura seems to be at ease with Ryoma. As well as Atobe, who despite their usual tirades against one another seems to be just one way of Atobe in showing his affections to the younger boy. Truthfully, if this competition wouldn't be taking place, they wouldn't have been able to know the past that those three had shared. It is just something that wouldn't show no matter how much you try to look at it. They didn't know why but something is definitely amiss.

"Ne Ryuzaki sensei it seems that Atobe and Yukimura are both fond of Echizen," Oishi, who was sitting just behind the Seigaku coach, commented.

"They are."

"Is it true that Echizen's cat was from Yukimura san?" Momoshiro asked next.

"Yes, Yukimura gave Karupin to Ryoma as a gift."

Fuji looked at the coach curiously. "So what is their relationship with Echizen?"

"Direct to the point as usual huh Fuji," Inui interjected as he began flipping his notes.

"They are best friends."

"But why did they go in separate ways here in Japan?"

"Sou da ne. . . They even acted as if they didn't really know each other."

Ryuzaki sighed and glanced at the window and somehow she felt quite relieved to find out that they were already in front of Seishun Gakuen school gates.

"Some things are better to be left unsaid." The bus stopped. "Hora. Get out of the bus. You're already late for your classes.

♥●♥♥●♥♥♥●♥♥♥♥●

Ryoma leaned back on his seat, his eyes starting to get droopy. The plane took off just a few minutes ago. He was seated in a chair between Yukimura, who was at the back and Atobe who was obviously seated at the chair directly in front of him.

He took a small peek behind his back and saw that Yukimura was already busy reading some magazine he had settled on his lap while munching on some food the flight attendant had handed out to him earlier. Atobe on the other hand was busy typing on his laptop he had brought along with him. He settled back on his chair and got his cd player from his bag, wore the earphones and hit the play button.

'_This is going to be a long flight' _He thought as he turned on his seat to get a much more comfortable position.

He just listened to the soft music blasting on his ears and let it lull him to sleep. And before he knew it he was already dozing off.

♥●♥♥●♥♥♥●♥♥♥♥●

**A/N:** Yeah I don't know if this chapter is any good _sighs_ Anyway I am hoping to read reviews from you soon. I would love to hear it from you.

I would also like to thank all those people who had reviewed the previous chapter. **THANK YOU VERY MUCH c",)**

Please review but NO FLAMES. . .


	3. Looming Sorrow

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, Antagonist(s) appears**

**Pairing: Main pairing s****till undetermined between**—EchizenXAtobe or EchizenXYukimura or EchizenXAtobeXYukimura. Implied TezukaXFuji

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **ChibisukeGirl, Ria Sakazaki, xJade, FlyingShadow666, Demon Lord Sesshomaru, Sakura777, RuByMoOn17, mimikitty, AT-Y, Empress Satori, dichan, Into my Darkness, Tuli-Susi, liar-just-a-liar, apocadelic, critic, DemonGirl13

**A/N **If some of you are wondering about the dedication line above, well it had already been my tradition to dedicate every chapter I make to those who had left reviews on my previous chapter. As for the pairings I haven't decided about it yet. You could vote for the pairing that you would like for the story. Sorry for the two day delay of this chapter. . .

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Forward march, I mean read on. . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Three**

_**Looming Sorrow**_

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

**Atobe Empire Business Tower**

Atobe Satoru closed back the folders containing the documents he had just finished reading, and piled it up with the rest of the papers cluttering on top of his mahogany desk. He shuffled through the other stack and extracted a new set of documents. He was just about to start reading them when someone started knocking on the door of his office. After voicing out a simple come in, he went back into studying the proposal at hand and waited for the visitor to make his entrance.

"President Atobe."

He looked up and saw the companies' marketing vice president, Hachiro Agawa, stood his ground directly in front of his table. Closing the flap of the folder, he casually slumped back on his swivel chair.

"Hachiro," he formally acknowledged the bespectacled man. Satoru noted his quite rigid posture as he stood on his spot not even blinking once. "It seems that you have something important to discuss with me." He presumed

"Pardon my intrusion president, but we discovered something from the monthly reports of the company. It is quite alarming so we thought that you should be properly informed about this." He said bowing in respect and laid down the papers he had brought along with him on top of the table. "Within the span of two months, five of our minor stock holders had pulled out their shares in the company. And according to the department handling the issues on the companies stocks, the vacated spots of those stock holders had already been processed and transferred under the name of one man."

His brows almost weaved together. "So you mean to say that only one person bought those stocks?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Did you make a thorough background check on this man?" he asked while reading the said reports.

"Yes. Based upon the reports done by Atobe companies set of private investigators, the said man involved here, owns several minor stocks on three of Atobe companies' major units, namely: Atobe Shipping Lines, Atobe Financial, and the newly developed Atobe Electronics."

"His personal background information?"

"His name is Akira Fujizaki, a widower. His wife died a year ago due to lung cancer and was left to tend to his three kids single handedly. Three months after the death of his wife, he had finished the program he had been developing for five years and sold it to a foreign company. After receiving the money for the program, he then started buying stocks from Atobe Company."

"It seems that this man is not much of a threat to the company, like you're saying he is," he commented while flipping through the pages. "I think he is just being wise by investing his money in our company."

"We're standing by our beliefs sir, that this man is dangerous." He said firmly, his voice slightly rising in volume.

He was surprised by the abrupt raise of the latter's voice. "Why?" he inquired, suddenly intrigued by the agitation, the usually calm and soft spoken man was showing him.

"Mr. Miyazaki, who owns almost twenty five percent of Atobe shipping lines stocks, had just sold his shares to Mr. Akira. From our own point of view, Mr. Akira might just be serving as a decoy, in order to take over the company. If we would carefully run through the balance sheets we would see that Mr. Akira already owns twenty eight percent of the shipping lines. If the stock holders would continuously pull out their investments there is a possibility that the company would be taken over and he would have the power to make a re-organization."

If the situation wasn't this tense, then he would have laughed right then there. Surely, Mr. Hachiro has quite a wide imagination. But this isn't any laughing matter at all, considering that the whole Atobe Empire is on the line. Being too lax about the situation might just cause irrevocable damage to the whole family fortune. "Do the media know something about this already?"

"We're doing our best not to let any vital information leak to the media."

He sighed and started massaging his temples feeling the sudden onset of a headache. "Make sure that the media wouldn't know about this. Have Mr. Akira undergo a private surveillance. Keep a close eye on him. If what you're saying is true then Atobe Empire might just be in deeper trouble than we think."

"Hai." He bowed and excused himself before exiting the room.

Once he was out of sight Satoru frowned and stood up from his seat. "Let's just hope you're wrong. Because if you aren't, then I might just know who the person is, that's causing all this trouble. A person who would surely crush us, until we're left with nothing to even start with."

* * *

**Somewhere in America**

A knock echoed around the massive oak doors of the study room. The light coming from the corridor crept in from the gap of the partly opened door when it had been slightly pushed. The coldness surrounding the dim lighted room had escaped from the small crevice surprising the visitor with an unsuspecting chill that had wrapped around him. He ardently rubbed his arms and stepped onto the carpeted floor, closing the door from behind him. He blindly made his way towards the opposite side and stopped when he bumped onto the glass edges of the table. The small antique lamp automatically flickered open flooding the room with a little bit of light.

"Master, here are the documents for the newly bought stocks of Atobe shipping lines," he bowed and placed the folder on top of the cold surface of the table.

The leather swivel chair spun around and revealed the man sitting on it. A small apathetic smile smeared his lips as he reached out and held the said folder. He flipped open the flap and scanned the stapled documents. He kept flipping and flipping all of the pages, and his smile visibly gone wider as he scanned each page. He threw back the folder on his desk and clasped his hands together.

"Very well done," he nodded at the man in front of him, clearly satisfied with the job he had finished a few days before the deadline that had been given.

Another knock sounded inside the room and the door opened once again, this time revealing the familiar form of the butler of the household. The middle aged man swerved towards their direction and paid his usual respects.

"Master, the informant had given a call a while ago."

He looked at the man indifferently. "Is it something that would _delight_ me?" He tapped his fingers on top of the table impatiently.

"Yes," he responded mono syllabically.

"Very well, proceed."

"According to him, Mr. Atobe Keigo and his friends, Mr. Yukimura Seiichi and Mr. Echizen Ryoma had left for America to join the UJF Cup. They are expected to arrive at John F. Kennedy International airport today."

"Hmmm. . is that so?" he reclined on his chair before he quelled his half consumed cigarette at the palm of his hand. "Prepare the car. I am leaving." He said motioning towards the butler.

"Hai," he excused himself and disappeared out of the room.

Once the butler was out of sight, the 'master' stood up from his seat and sauntered over to the large bookcase standing near the heavily covered window, before pulling out a small controller from his pocket. With one small click, the said bookcase moved sideways revealing a medium sized titanium vault stuck on the concrete walls. He began pressing the combination to open the vault. After grabbing the package enclosed inside it, he sealed back the vault and moved the bookcase back to its original place.

"Here's the money." He slid the package, which is a small leather attaché case, across the table.

The man smiled and eagerly pushed open the small locks revealing the neatly stacked bundles of green money, dollars. He let his hands roam all over the money and even inhaled the scent of his newly acquired fortune.

"I suppose it's more than enough to compensate for the deal we made. I also had a ticket booked for you so you could return to Japan as soon as possible."

He nodded and shoved the case inside his slightly bigger back pack. After zipping it back up, he unceremoniously slung the straps up on his shoulders, turning back his focus towards the 'master'. "But what if they discover that you're just using me as inveigle?"

He looked at him formidably. "As long as you _don't_ rant me out, then you're safe."

"You can count on that."

"Well I must be on my way. I need to attend to more _important _matters," He said eyes giving a devious glint as he stood up and grabbed his coat. "_Very important matters indeed._"

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

Kawamura Sushi is jam packed for the night, with all the Seigaku regulars littering all over the place. Fudomine, who had managed to bump along with Seigaku while they were making their way onto the street tennis courts decided to tag along with them. Tomorrow would be their first day in the selection camp for the UJF camp so they decided to enjoy the night out before they start going into much more serious business for the forthcoming days.

Eiji wasn't his usual hyperactive mode though, as he just kept on poking his anago. "Nya, it's boring without having Ochibi around here with us," he pouted and sighed before jabbing his already abused sushi.

"Eiji don't play with you're food," Oishi reprimanded his double's partner when he saw that he was already on the verge of completely mutilating the unsuspecting food.

He sighed again, leaning his chin onto his hand. "Hai." He chugged down the food and chewed it lazily.

"Don't worry Eiji. I'm sure Echizen is doing fine," Kawamura consoled the gloomy red head and laid down a newly refilled tea cup.

"I heard that Echizen came back to America with Yukimura and Atobe," Tachibana said to Tezuka, who was sitting one chair away from him.

"Aa."

"How'd you know?" asked Fuji.

"Who wouldn't? With that psycho path Mizuki practically announcing it to every school." Kamio muttered.

"It's good news though. The representatives would surely be lucky enough to have the chance to play with those three. They wouldn't have to wait for another year just to play with them. Not only that, they would also be able to travel to America. They could meet really strong players out there. Oh yes there would also be players from France who would be participating as well. I wonder how America looks like. I need to do my best then if I want to play a game with Echizen again." Everyone sweat dropped when Shinji started his monologue habit from the other side of the room.

"Shinji," Tachibana admonished his babbling team member.

Shinji immediately closed his mouth and apologized before silently going back to eating his sushi.

"An chan here have some of these. It's really good," Kamio held out his chopsticks towards, Tachibana's little sister, who was currently cushioned in between him and Momoshiro.

"No, An chan. This anago is better than that one. Besides that," he pointed towards the sushi being held between Kamio's chopsticks, "has wasabi in it, you'll just burn your tongue when you eat something as spicy as that," Momoshiro interjected giving out every reason he could think of while offering her some of his sushi.

"Iie. . An chan this isn't as spicy as it looks like, so you shouldn't worry about it being too spicy for your liking," Kamio held his chopsticks nearer towards the girls face.

"Ano Kamio kun. ." An laughed nervously.

"Oi rhythm boy will you stop forcing her to eat that," he scowled.

Kamio narrowed his eyes towards him. "You're the one forcing her peach butt."

Momo unconsciously twitched his brows at the nickname before balling his fists in front of the Fudomine player. "Teme."

"Come on An chan." Kamio ignored him.

"Will you stop calling me peach butt!!," he glowered.

Kamio seemed to be in deep thought for a while before he gave his reply. "Oh yeah you're not a peach butt after all."

"Of course I'm not."

"Yeah, because you're a bike thief." He said grinning triumphantly and he went back into convincing An into eating the wasabi sushi.

"Baka Yarou," Momo snarled and lunged towards Kamio, the latter falling back on the floor with a loud bang before they started wrestling and rolling all over the ground.

"Would you two please stop fighting?" An asked in a soft spoken voice but the, two who were still having their brawl, just ignored her plea.

"Aa. Kaidoh it seems that Momo already found someone else to argue with. Aren't you jealous?" commented Fuji innocently, as his eyes drifted onto the viper.

"Fssshhh," Kaidoh just hissed and disregarded his teasing remarks.

Oishi who was already starting to go into his mother hen mode, suddenly stopped himself from jumping up and separating the two players when An Tachibana abruptly stood up from her seat and gave the two a dirty look. "OI! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STOP IT! . . JUST EAT THOSE SUSHI'S AND SHUT UP," she yelled obviously pissed off by their rambunctious demeanor. She angrily pushed her way through the still shocked players and marched towards her equally surprised brother. "Onee san can I seat there?" she pointed towards the empty seat beside her brother.

Kippei, upon hearing his sister's voice, immediately snapped out of his trance and motioned for her to occupy the vacant seat.

"Your sister has quite a temper there Tachibana," Fuji remarked.

"Aa."

* * *

**New York**

Ryoma groaned and slouched on his seat further, determined to stay asleep. But the constant shakes and taps on his shoulder told him otherwise. His face scrunched up a little as he started emerging from his still sleepy state. Slightly regaining his conscious mind, he slowly opened his eyes, only to have it blinking back several times so he could adjust to his surroundings and the stinging rays of sunlight, creeping up from the window beside him, that was blurring his eyesight. He stretched languidly on his seat before removing his ear phones and placing his cd player back inside his bag.

He yawned and slowly rubbed his eyes to rid off the remaining ounce of sleep in them. He glanced towards his right just in time to see Yukimura appearing from behind his seat. He roamed his eyes around and found out that they were the only ones left at their side of the plane. He looked at the chair in front of him, where Atobe was seated, and saw the latter raising his brows at him.

"We're here already?" he asked clearly stating the obvious.

"What do you think?" Atobes lips upturned into a smirk.

He yawned again before unbuckling his seatbelt. Yukimura immediately offered his hand for support. He hesitated for a while but decided to accept his help anyways.

"Arigato," he muttered and they all stepped out of the plane.

After undergoing several standard airport procedures they went to go and retrieve their luggage. Upon getting his pet's cage he immediately checked out his cat's condition. He took a small peek on Karupin's cage and saw her slightly disoriented eyes. She began to sway on her feet before she puked unceremoniously, making Ryoma grimace.

"Ryo chan is Karupin alright?" Yukimura asked worriedly when he saw the boys' troubled look.

"Karupin's a little sick," Ryoma grimaced as he saw his cat fall back inside the cage and blacked out.

Yukimura crouched down and peered at the cage. "Don't worry. I think she just got dizzy because of the turbulence. She'd be alright after a nice nap." He gave him an assuring smile and patted his head.

"I guess so. She's always like this when she gets on a plane. Karupin's not used to traveling." He shrugged. "Oi Kego how's beef?" he asked referring to Atobe's pet dog.

"It's beat not beef. . . And there's nothing to worry about ore sama's dog granted that he is already used to traveling by land, by water or even by air. Because traveling is already an integral part of ore sama's generous lifestyle." Keigo said flippantly while placing the cage on the trolley.

"Don't mind him Ryoma. You know Keigo is a little tactless." Yukimura reminded him while putting his arms around Ryoma's shoulder.

"Che." He responded coolly before adjusting his white fila cap. Yukimura removed his arms and he somehow felt a tinge of sadness at the loss of his best friends' familiar and soothing warmth. A little disheartened by Yukimura's actions, he moved his hands onto the cart's handle bar and prepared to push it forward to follow Atobe's lead. But before he could move an inch, Yukimura gripped his hand. Surprised by the older boys audacious behavior, Ryoma looked up and met Yukimura's soulful eyes that seemed to pierce right through him.

"I'm going to push the cart for you. Besides, I am sharing this one with you so it's not nice of me to let you push it alone," Yukimura beamed at him happily. He pointed towards his bags that were stacked neatly beside Ryoma's own.

Ryoma felt a lump form in his throat and he just chose to avert his gaze before he do something stupid. "Whatever."

"Oi stop the chit chat and get going," Atobe yelled uncharacteristically.

He and Yukimura looked at each other and smiled. "Mada Mada dane Keigo."

Together, they followed Atobe onto the open area where their ride would be waiting for them. A limousine would be picking them up at the airport courtesy of Herrington University. Ryoma let out a relieved sigh when they had reached the area and found out that fans weren't in sight.

"You seem happy ne Ryo chan," Yukimura commented while scanning the whole area, looking for any sign of the limo as well.

"Hn, just thankful that there aren't any fans hounding around the vicinity."

"Yeah now that you've mentioned it there aren't any fans. I already expected to see at least a couple of people lurking here and there." He agreed.

"But I think that you forgot about the media," Atobe interrupted as he pointed towards the other side of the area. True to his words, when they spun around, they saw reporters. No, not only reporters, it was a _throng_of media men. They were being repressed on one side by metal palisades and some of the airports own line of security personnel, who were immediately dispersed when the media people started pouring in.

Flashes of light went on as everyone started snapping out pictures of the trio. The camera's started rolling as different news reporters started delivering their piece. Questions and commentaries started flooding them, being thrown out by different people. The voices combined and it exploded into a head splitting noise. The media grew restless and started pushing one another in an attempt to get closer to the helpless boys. Even the calm security men started to be aggressive in making the nosy people stay put in their places.

Ryoma winced when he felt the slight sting that shot up to his eyes. With his sharp vision, seeing too many flashes of light that seems to go on and on, and unruly people moving around him, his eyes started to get strained. He blinked and rubbed his eyes trying to rid of the burning pain. After having it close for a while, the pain slowly subsided. He half opened his eyes, to prevent it from being caused further damage. But that wasn't his only problem. His ears are also starting hurt because of all the screaming around him.

He whirled around, just in time to see the arrival of a familiar person. Blake Harris, Herrington Tennis clubs current captain and Ryomas under classman. Ryoma had never felt so relieved in his entire existence. The petite redhead was running towards them at a deadly speed and he was already panting for air when he reached them. He personally knew Blake since he was the one who appointed the guy to be the captain of the club when he left for Japan **"Senior Ryoma, Senior Keigo, Senior Seiichi. Sorry for the delay. There was an accident on the way here, and the streets are on a traffic jam."**

Atobe, obviously wasn't satisfied of the explanation he got, he stepped forward and was about spout out his usual ore sama lines when Yukimura looked at him. Atobe merely threw Blake an icy glare, before backing down. He doesn't have the time to exchange banters with Yukimura.

"**Don't worry, we understand." **Yukimura murmured sympathetically.

"**Can we go now?" **he groused dryly effectively getting their attention.

"**Right," **Blake waved his hands and three more students from Herrington, which he recognized because of their uniforms, came and started gathering up their luggage. **"They would be carrying your bags to the limo."**

Atobe looked impressed as the students went back to the limo with them following behind. **"It seems that Principal Anderson still knows my preference of not carrying my own things."**

"**More like demands." **Ryoma grunted.

Yukimura chuckled and he hooked his arms around Ryoma's waist, drawing him closer. He felt his cheeks burn up, something he doesn't usually do. But with Yukimura doing these things like it was nothing made Ryoma somehow feel uneasy. Well it's been three years since they acted this close.

They were only a few meters away from the black limo when he felt a fleeting cold feeling wrap around him, making him shiver spontaneously. He stopped in his tracks and glanced back towards the people they just happen to pass by. But he saw no one.

"Ryoma," Yukimura looked at him questioningly. "Is something wrong?"

He continued glancing around, before he shook his head after not finding anyone who looked recognizable to him. "No—Nothing I just thought I saw someone familiar," he stammered.

"Are you sure you're alright? You look pale." Atobe didn't bother hiding the worry he was feeling.

"Hai. I'm fine." He boarded the limo after sparing another look at the airport and they drove off.

* * *

He unnoticeably stepped out of the pillar, eyes trailing behind the limo which was slowly starting to fade away from his view. A small treacherous smile was left forged on his pale, dry lips as he once again disappeared without anyone knowing that he was even there.

* * *

After being caught on traffic for almost half an hour they had finally made it to Herrington University. From what Blake had been telling them earlier, a meeting would be held on Herrington's prestigious conference room, exclusive to the representative students who would join the selection camp for the upcoming UJF Cup. Upon setting foot on the school grounds, the sight that had greeted them was something unexpected.

Students were all clustered up in front of the main building, a gothic looking structure, each one were carrying humongous streamers and banners with their names clearly imprinted on it. They were having a screaming fiasco that became louder and louder as the group came nearer. Ryoma had to cover his ears when felt like it would burst anytime soon. Every one of them was chanting out their own cheers something like:

"**Vice Captain Keigo you're so handsome."**

"**Manager Yukimura welcome back."**

"**Prince Ryoma we love you."**

"**Welcome U.S. Open champion."**

"**Senior Yukimura, our gorgeous angel, is back"**

"**We are forever loyal subjects of Senior Keigo."**

"**Senior Ryoma's the coolest and the hottest tennis prodigy."**

Atobe stepped forward and snapped his fingers, immediately silencing the Herrington student populace. They bowed down in unison and for once yelled the same thing.

"**Welcome back to Herrington, Seniors."**

Ryoma couldn't help but shake his head at their childishness. He started walking and everyone gave way, making a wide gap open for them to easily pass through. They walked through the buildings winding corridors and numerous staircases before they finally reached their destination. The conference room, which wouldn't go unnoticed to those who were passing by, considering the plate used to engrave the rooms' name. The signage was made of pure gold, courtesy of Atobe when they were still studying here.

Without even bothering to knock, Ryoma pushed open the large oak doors. Everyone was properly seated on the velvet chairs surrounding the large mahogany conference table. A projector sitting on top of the head of the table was already all fired up. They stood up accordingly and bowed towards them.

"**Welcome back to Herrington, Seniors." **They made the same greeting as that of those students who were outside.

He just looked at each one of them lackadaisically before his head flew over to the right end side of the room. His forehead creased as he somehow felt quite familiar with the boy sitting on that spot. His eyes then snapped open in surprise as he finally remembered who he was. He pointed one shaking finger towards his direction. **"YOU!" **he hissed darkly. His reaction drew out everyone's attention and had it focused on them.

The boy stood up and crossed his arms in front of his chest. **"We meet again ECHIZEN RYOMA."**

* * *

**A/N: **I hope the chapter didn't bore you out because it was a little long. It took me longer to finish this than I thought it would. The mysterious parts are quite a handful I might say but I had so much fun writing them. Oh and another thing, I made Karupin a she, since I don't know its gender.

I would also like to express my undying gratitude to those who had been reviewing this story. Arigato Gozaimasu. . .

Reviews are very much appreciated and would really make me happy and inspired. Please review and NO FLAMES. . .


	4. Just Like Yesterday

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I also disclaim the names of the schools that would be mentioned in this story. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, mushy scenes**

**Pairing: Main pairing s****till undetermined between**—EchizenXAtobe or EchizenXYukimura or EchizenXAtobeXYukimura. Implied TezukaXFuji

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **DemonGirl13, Shini no Tenshi, apocadelic, SAPPHASH, dichan, Slave of Darkness, RuByMoOn17, Tuli-Susi, Empress Satori, FlyingShadow666, shadowsteph, AT-Y, Ria Sakazaki, DF

**A/N **Again just like those previous updates I would like to apologize for another two day delay. I had to rewrite this one for almost fifteen times just to get things right. I hope it didn't end up crappy though. This particular chapter really drained my brains out. The next update would be out in a few days since I would start polishing up the scenes for the tennis matches so it might take more time for me to finish it. And for the pairings, so far many of you are pinning for AtobeXEchizenXYukimura and AtobeXRyoma pairing. You could still make votes for your favorite pairing. Anyway I am hoping that you'd like this one.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Happy reading. . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Four**

_**Just Like Yesterday**_

* * *

**Herrington University Conference Room**

He just looked at each one of them lackadaisically before his head flew over to the right end side of the room. His forehead creased as he somehow felt quite familiar with the boy sitting on that spot. His eyes then snapped open in surprise as he finally remembered who he was. He pointed one shaking finger towards his direction. **"YOU!" **he hissed darkly. His reaction drew out everyone's attention and had it focused on them.

The boy stood up and crossed his arms in front of his chest. **"We meet again ECHIZEN RYOMA."**

"**Kevin!" **

The blonde haired boy grinned widely and jumped towards him energetically. The serious and stern façade he had been wearing when they arrived was long gone. He just turned to his usual bubbly self. **"I've been waiting for you for AGES! You didn't even bother giving me a single call when you went back to Japan." **He complained while tugging his arms back and forth.

He rolled his eyes at Kevin's childishness. **"You've been torturing me with excessive amounts of training when I was still here. You deserve a little punishment don't you think?" **he huffed, remembering the hellish days of training he had spent here in America under Kevin's supervision, since he volunteered to be his personal trainer. He had sworn from the day he left for Japan that he would somehow find away to return the favor to Kevin.

"**Ow, those trainings were fun," **he protested.

He narrowed his eyes towards him. **"You think running fifty laps around times' square at three in the morning is fun?"**

Kevin was about to answer back when Atobe and Yukimura, who were silently watching them from behind, calmly stepped out and decided to make their presence known.

"**Oi American Boy, aren't you that annoying kid from the Goodwill Games?" **Atobe asked in an intimidating manner.

"**Yeah it's me. And you're the tannhauser man with that bull capped dude." **He uttered dryly.

"**Oi don't associate ore sama with that baka Sanada," **hissed Atobe.

Yukimura cleared his throat and gave the blonde, one of his trademark smiles. **"Aa. So you are the infamous Kevin Smith, Sanada had been telling me SO much about." **He extended his hands for a handshake. **"By the way I am Rikkaidai's captain, Yukimura Seiichi. It's NICE to meet you." **

"**It's nice to be of acquaintance with you too Yukimura san." **Kevin shook the calm looking boy's hands but cringed in the process when he felt the latter almost crushing his hands with his deadly grip. He pulled back his abused hands and started to check for any damage that had been caused to it. 'This guy sure is strong. Fragile yet lethal' He thought casting the other with a wary look.

But Yukimura didn't seem to be affected at all. **"Sanada told me that you have quite a grudge towards our Ryo chan here. I suppose you don't have any intention to exact you're revenge while we are here. Am I right?" **He asked with an innocent smile.

Kevin, who was obviously starting to get freaked out by the ever smiling boy, gave out a lopsided grin and laughed nervously. **"Don't worry I already decided to forget the idea of avenging my father. Besides I think Nanjiroh san won fair and square against my dad. And Ryoma and I are already the best of friends, so any form of violence isn't quite fitting at all." **

Ryoma felt Kevin's arms wound around his shoulders and he rolled his eyes. **"Really? Since when?" **He hissed arrogantly. He stole a glance towards Atobe who was silently seething in anger at Kevin's public display of affection towards the young prodigy. **"Oi Keigo, are you alright? You're turning red."**

Atobe didn't flinch as his eyes just stayed glued on Kevin's arms that were on his shoulders. He sent a warning glare towards the boy, a touch-him-and-you'll-die look which the blonde teen immediately recognized. Kevin jerked his arm away, feeling suddenly electrocuted by Ore sama's icy look.

Ryoma who noticed the silent exchange between the two looked quite puzzled but decided to let the topic go. **"So what are you doing here Kev?" **He asked, eyeing the fidgeting teen.

He threw a casual look towards the still glaring Hyotei captain and swallowed the lump in his throat. **"Er, St. Icarus picked me as their representative."**

"**So you'd be in camp with us. Well, that sounds fun," **Yukimura murmured wistfully.

Kevin cringed and shivered involuntarily.

"**Just make sure you wouldn't stand in Ore sama's way." **Atobe groused dryly and walked off.

"Come on Ryo chan let's take our seats too." Yukimura dragged him towards the direction Atobe headed to, where there are still two vacant seats. He was cautiously nudged towards the chair on Atobe's right while Yukimura took the one beside him, leaving him seated in between the two captains.

After that the two didn't utter even a single word as they immersed themselves in their own businesses. Atobe opened his laptop and began typing something which Ryoma had guessed has something to do with the family business. He helps his father in some paper works when he has the time to do so. On the other hand, Yukimura was busy reading a thick paperback novel he had retrieved from his bag.

The small door which was adjacent to the administration office opened up and revealed Coach James and Principal Anderson. They were discussing amongst themselves when they spotted the new arrivals sitting comfortably on their seats.

"**Welcome back kids." **Principal Anderson gave them a small wave.

"**It's nice to have you here again, Keigo, Ryoma, Seiichi."** The energetic and friendly coach said in delight while giving the three a radiant smile.

"**It's not like we have a choice right," **Ryoma grumbled sarcastically.

Coach James just shrugged off the lewd comment he made. **"By the way these are the other participants for the selection camp. I suppose you three already know most of them considering that many of them are your former team mates here in Herrington."**

Atobe and Yukimura didn't budge from their places and Ryoma was the only one who took his time in throwing a bored look towards the others who were seating alongside them. Some of them were indeed familiar to him but the others we're just new faces. Coach James started introducing each one of them before he went back into his discussion with the principal.

For Ridgestone Academy, they had sent over Lawrence Henderson, a blonde haired guy with cerulean blue eyes. He was known in Herrington for his gymnastic style tennis play since he was a former gymnast before he turned into a tennis junkie. With him is the redhead captain of the Academy, Henry Barnes. Over at Syruse Universities side was Shawn Sanders, a tennis player with a whooping five foot eleven inch height and chestnut colored hair, Herrington's own silent tactician who was renowned for his strategic plays. He would tend to fool his opponents and lure them onto his trap in the most unsuspecting way. He is also known for causing enough emotional and mental traumas to his past opponents that they had to be sent over to a mental hospital to get treated.

Haneworth College chose three players from their current team namely; Nathan Wright the team captain, Travis Jones a third year regular and Curtis Thompson the vice-captain and also a former Herrington student. He was well known as the powerhouse because of his outstanding agility and stamina, that enables him to withstand extremely long matches. Xavier University sent Nicholas Black a second year regular and Kazuhiko Yamada, a half Japanese Half American and former Herrington member. He was their schools own version of Inui Sadaharu. He, like Inui senpai, is considered a master in collecting his opponents' data and uses this information's to formulate deadly counter attacks. The only edge he has from Inui is that he doesn't make those dreadful juices', instead he makes energy bars which is more dreadful than the Inui Juice.

And of course Kevin Smith of St. Icarus. He saw himself staring back at a pair of mischievous blue orbs when he gazed towards the said blonde haired tennis player. He raised his brows towards the latter, who stuck out his tongue at him and laughed. He shook his head at his crazy antics before turning to the coach.

"**Coach why aren't we starting yet?" **he inquired impatiently.

"**Coach Martin of St. Icarus isn't here yet so we can't start, not until he arrives."**

"Che," he huffed and just resigned himself in toying with the empty water glass in front of him. He felt his stomach grumble for being food deprived ever since they set foot here in New York. He looked at his two companions who are still busying themselves in their own devices. Yukimura is someone who wouldn't budge when he's too caught up in reading his books so he opted to bug monkey king instead, who was still busy typing on his laptop.

He poked the Hyotei captain to earn his undivided attention. "Ne Keigo I'm hungry." He exclaimed frowning.

Atobe looked up from his work and turned to him questioningly. "Hungry?"

"Hai."

He grinned smugly, looked behind him and motioned for the student assistant to come over.

"What is it senior Keigo?" the freshman asked politely.

"Kindly bring some snacks, water and a can of Ponta." He ordered.

The assistant nodded and excused himself before he ran off towards the cafeteria. A few minutes had passed before he came back carrying a tray full of food. He settled it in front of them before going back to his designated post inside the room.

He immediately grabbed one of the sandwiches. "Want some?" he asked in between mouthfuls and offered a piece of ham and cheese sandwich towards Atobe's direction.

He looked at the half eaten sandwich as if pondering whether he should take it or not. "It doesn't bite monkey king," he said sarcastically as the former continued scrutinizing the food with a doubtful look.

"Keh," he muttered off handedly before grabbing the sandwich away from his hands and ate it in one huge bite.

"Oi you didn't have to eat it so fast," he mumbled under his breath as he offered him some water.

"Aa. It seems that you two are having fun there," commented Yukimura who was still reading his book.

"Take whatever you like," he pointed towards the food piled up on the table.

"Can you hand me some of those sandwich you gave Keigo?"

He grabbed another piece from the pile and handed it to him. "Here."

Yukimura peered from behind his book and looked at the neatly wrapped food in his hand. "I want the same thing you gave Keigo."

"This is the same thing."

"It's not half eaten like Keigo's, so it's not the same." He pointed out.

"Yeah. It's not half eaten so what?"

"Just give him what he wants." Keigo interjected as placed the cap back on the water bottle.

"Huh?"

"Just bite the sandwich and get it over with." Keigo adviced.

He looked at the sandwich and then at Yukimura who was watching him silently. He narrowed his eyes before forcefully un-wrapping the poor sandwich and took a huge bite from it. "You happy now?" he muttered, shoving the food to his waiting hands.

"Hai." Yukimura happily started eating his food.

"You're weird," he murmured before grabbing his Ponta and started drinking it.

* * *

**Unknown Place in New York**

He fished out his keys from his pocket and slightly fumbled when inserting it the doors keyhole. Once he got the old wooden door open he blindly made his way inside of his dark apartment room, reaching out to switch the small light bulb, hanging on the ceiling, open. After flicking the light switch several times the light still remained off. "Damn," he cursed and kicked the door closed. "That old hag must have cut the electricity off," he muttered darkly as he angrily moved the dusty old curtains covering the window. Sunlight started to peer through the broken windows and the room got flooded with light in an instant.

He removed the straps of his back pack hanging onto his shoulders and haphazardly threw it onto the worn out sofa. As soon as the heavy baggage hit the couch's surface springs started to pierce through the thin fabric of the cushions. He shook his head in distaste and trudged towards the small refrigerator, one of the few working and decent electrical appliance he have inside this place he had been calling home for a measly seven years. He pulled it open and grabbed a can of beer from inside it. He slammed the door close and pulled the tab off of the can. His face scrunched up in repugnance when the taste of warm beer hit his taste buds.

He slouched himself back onto the stool placed beside the couch and took in the sight of the cramped up room. Every corner of the place clearly reminds him of how pathetic his life had been all this years. He had been alone and miserable. This place could even qualify better as a dumpster rather than a house. His old baggy clothes were strewn all over the place. There were buckets strategically placed on every side to prevent the water that would tend to drip from the ceilings when there's rain, from flooding the floors. The stained walls paints are already starting to peel off. Mounds of dust and spider webs could be seen on every nook and crannies. And what's worse is that all the furniture, are better of as trash.

His eyes flew over to the rustic life sized mirror hanging on the wall opposite from him and he blankly stared at his own reflection. He removed the chestnut brown colored shoulder length wig he was wearing and tossed it on the side. The next thing he removed was the green colored contacts he wore in his eyes and delicately placed it on top of the table. Those were the two things he had been using to cover up his true self and live with a different identity. It was the basic part of his disguise to be able to associate with the outside world with no one recognizing him.

He felt hollow as he gulped the remainders of his beer. His arms stretched over and he grabbed the bundle of pictures scattered all over the table. His eyes gleamed in hatred as he stared back at the smiling face of the boy and the woman he had grown to hate so much. The boy he had been blaming for all the misfortunes he had been suffering all his life. The boy who had stolen everything away from him.

_He started quickening his pace and hid behind the nearby tree dragging his duffel bag behind him. He slipped back on the large trunk and sighed in relief, hugging his bag towards him. After calming his erratically beating heart and regaining his normal breathing he peeked out just in time to see his younger brother running from the back yard carrying several pieces of fruits on his shirt. His eyes roamed around before he frowned to himself looking at the things he had brought along with him._

_He moved along but immediately fell onto the grass lawn and was left sprawled all over the ground. He watched as he tried sitting up and checking out for any wounds. He saw a small bruise on his elbow and felt a small scrape on his right check. Feeling the slight sting brought about by his injuries made the youngster wail in pain._

_He saw his father come out of the house and walked casually towards his brother who was bawling his hearts out in the front yard. He crouched down and hoisted him up on his shoulders. His brother's wails turned into sobs and later on drifted into squeals of delight. His father spun around, earning a full blown laughter from his son. The endearing picture the father and son made could be heartwarming to some but not to him. _

_He looked up when thunder started booming out of nowhere. Lightning etched simultaneously on the slowly darkening sky, as thick black clouds moved along and covered the sun. The wind started blowing harsher and made the leaves flutter more violently swaying against the winds direction. Birds which were silently perched on the tree branches started flying away._

"_Anata, get inside the house. It's going to rain." He heard his mother holler from inside the house._

"_Oh," he yelled and walked back inside the house. After he shut the door closed it started to drizzle._

_He moved out from his hiding spot, eyes lingering on their house. He felt tears start welling up in his eyes and he hastily wiped it away. The slight drizzle turned into a full blown heavy rain. He stood there unmoving, allowing the rain water to pelt down his skin. He felt his heart clench in pain and anger as he heard his families' joyful laughter._

_His eyes blazed in fury as he moved and dragged his bag with him. He never looked back as he made his way towards the life that would be ahead of him._

He glared at the pictures he didn't know he had scrunched up and ripped into tiny pieces. Fury was still burning up inside of him as he relieved that day from his childhood that lead to the drastic change in his life. A change that ruined his life. And it was all because of them.

"I'm going to make you pay."

* * *

The meeting was long adjourned and they were already on their way to their houses. The three of them would be staying over at their respective houses which were right beside each other, of course with his house in between the two. It was their houses when they were still residing here in New York. Atobe and Yukimura's were vacated for almost three years while his, was only for a year. But they have caretakers that do the cleaning and maintaining of each household so they are sure it is still habitable despite their families' absence.

Coach James offered them lodging in the hotel, courtesy of Herrington, but he refused, saying he'd rather stay in his own home. The coach understood him and had the three of them to be taken back in their houses.

"**We're here," **Mr. Jimmy,the chubby fifty year old chauffer of Herrington's shuttle bus hollered out as he stepped onto the breaks.

He looked out of the window and saw that they were already in front of Atobe's house. He crouched down and started grabbing his things.

"**It's nice to see you again kid," **Mr. Jimmy told him while he was climbing out of the bus. He had been driving the said school bus for almost fifteen years now and he's somewhat attached to Ryoma ever since the boy started schooling in Herrington. Sure the boy is cocky, but unknown to them Ryoma is hiding a softer side in him that is just being kept hidden in the dark.

"**It's nice to see you again Gramps," **he gave the friendly man one of his rare and unrestrained smiles.

"**Oi kiddos. Take care of Ryoma here would yah," **he yelled towards Yukimura and Atobe who were already waiting for him outside.

Atobe smirked; he's already used to the old man's fondness in calling them kiddo, so he just left him of the hook. **"Don't worry gramps. I would make sure he would be in good hands." **He raised his brows at Ryoma and grinned.

Yukimura agreed with him. **"Don't worry grandpa. We would take good care of him." **He went back inside to help Ryoma bring down all his things out of the bus.

Kevin poked his head out of the window. "Oi Ryoma. See Yah tomorrow," he hollered while grinning at him happily.

"American Boy, be careful were you stick out that head of yours. You'll never know, it might just drop off your head before you even know it," Atobe remarked coolly.

Ryoma sent him a warning glare before nodding towards the blonde.

"**See you again Kiddos," **the chauffer waved his hands at them and drove off.

Once the bus was completely gone, he started gathering his things and went to walk back to his house. He already told the caretakers that he would be going back today and asked them to prepare his room. He picked up Karupin's cage and the cat started meowing away. She must have sensed that they're near their old house. He extended his bags handle and was about to start dragging it back to the house when he felt someone grab his arms.

He swerved his eyes back and saw Yukimura looking at him sternly while gripping his arms, preventing him from making an escape.

"Nande?" he asked slightly puzzled by his action. Contrary to beliefs that he's a little naïve in noticing other people's behavior, he could clearly see that Atobe and Yukimura had been acting weird ever since they'd been here. Atobe always look pissed off at something he doesn't really know, but he was sure that the captain is mad at something. Meanwhile, Yukimura's behavior is also a little off from the usual. Sure he always smiles and likes to make sneaky comments but the latter seems to be more sadistic and his smiles are really starting grate on his nerves.

"Ryo chan where are you going?" he inquired in a serious voice.

He blinked. "Home."

"Why don't you come with Keigo and me? I'm going to sleep over in his house tonight." He suggested, offering a kind smile as he gestured towards Atobe who was standing in front of the large metal gates.

"But—"

"Come on Ryo chan," Yukimura urged on with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

He glimpsed at Atobe before going back to Yukimura. His lips twitched involuntarily as he raised his hands in defeat. "Fine." Ryoma was taken aback when he thought he saw Atobe's lips broke into a smile and disappeared in just a split second. 'Must have been my imagination' he thought, with heavy footsteps he let himself be dragged away.

Once they had entered the luxurious gates, the large medieval looking mansion of the Atobe family had immediately greeted their sights. Even though he had almost practically lived here, since he and Seiichi often sleeps over, he still couldn't help but be awed by the magnificent structure of the house. Though the house has that ancient feel to it, it was still a feature of elegance and grandeur. Intricate carvings of well known sculptors were grazing certain parts of the concrete walls that would easily catch the attention of whoever comes here. The pebbled pathways leading to the marble steps toward the front door are being bordered along by rose bushes, delicately trimmed and well maintained by the gardeners.

The large wooden front door opened up and out came Mr. Leon, the butler of the Atobe household. The jolly old man had immediately locked each one of them into a bear hug, filled with longing and joy.

"**So the pipsqueaks are here," **Mrs. Leon, the butlers' wife and the official cook of the household, came out of the house with her left hand still holding onto her spatula. She looked at the boys tucked beneath her husbands arms and smiled fondly.

"**Mr. Leon can't breath," **Ryoma gasped, already turning blue from being deprived of air far too long.

That must have snapped him out of his reminiscing moment and he immediately released the three sending them tumbling back on the marbled floors.

Ryoma winced feeling the heavy weight sprawled on top of him. He cracked one eye open only to see another face hovering above him. His eyes immediately snapped open and examined who it was. 'So it's Keigo' he murmured wincing when he felt his lungs were being scraped when he tried to steady his breathing. His breath got caught up in his throat when the captains still dazed eyes focused on him. And for a minute there, they just stared at each other. No one moved, no one spoke.

He gulped when he felt like he was being burned by those smoldering eyes. His heart was beating abnormally and for a minute there he was afraid that it would just burst out of him. His eye trailed off and focused on the latter's slightly parted lips and he became a little frantic. 'What the hell' he cursed himself as he started to get hentai thoughts and continued staring, dumbfounded, at his lips. 'Is it me or is it getting hot around here?' he contemplated while beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

He bit the insides of his cheeks and started to fidget uncomfortably. He swallowed again this time finding enough courage to talk. "Oi monkey king. Mind getting off of me now. You're as heavy as a boulder." He chortled out trying not to stammer.

Atobe knotted his brows and frowned. He quietly pushed himself away and elegantly stood up like nothing had happened. He too stood up from his position and felt a small bump in his head when he checked himself for any injuries. He looked at Atobe who was quietly standing beside him without even bothering sparing him a single glance. Yukimura who was watching them the whole time, after being the first one to regain his footing when they fell, was already chuckling to himself as he eyed the two blushing tennis players.

"Ryo chan, is something wrong? You look as red as a tomato," he chided.

Ryoma threw him a deadly glare before he casually picked up the bags he dropped on the ground. **"I'd like to go to my room now,"** he told Mr. Leon who was still left perturbed by the display he had just witnessed. His wife was another case though, for she had that serene smile on her face, not even showing a hint that she was shocked by the scenario.

Mr. Leon shook his head trying to get the thoughts out of his mind. **"We've prepared the room you usually occupy." **He said while guiding him towards the west wing were his room is located.

Atobe and Yukimura's eyes trailed off after the young prodigy as he disappeared onto the second floor.

"**Um excuse me young gentlemen but I need to go back to my cooking." **Mrs. Leon went back inside the house leaving Yukimura and Atobe alone on the porch.

"Aa. Atobe, I envy you,'" he said while looking at his best friend.

Atobe raised his brows before smirking. "Mada Mada dane Yukimura." He chuckled and he too went inside the house with Yukimura following behind him.

"**I'd be going now," **Mr. Leon said and was about to walk back downstairs when Ryoma rushed up towards the door and called after him. **"What is the problem?"**

"**I won't be eating dinner. I'm going to sleep early." **He informed before shutting the door closed. He went to grab Karupin's cage and started undoing the lock. Once he had removed the locks and pushed open the small cover, the cat gracefully leaped out and landed towards his lap. She moved around before finally settling herself and curled up into a small ball of fur. His eyes wandered around the room while his hands gently stroked Karupin's soft fur. The room still looks the same from before. Large plasma television, furniture made from the finest woods, blue draperies were hanging on the windows and the bed was covered by his favorite blue satin bedding. It was the very same bedding that was used when he first slept over. That time it was extremely hot and humid because it was summer, and the feel of the cool silky satin against his flustered skin was more than heaven to him.

He slipped himself inside the covers and placed Karupin beside him. His thoughts again wandered back to what had happened earlier and he felt a new hint of blush creeping up to his cheeks. 'Darn it Ryoma stop the blushing already,' he berated himself. 'But admit it you wished you kissed him' His inner self mocked him and he hissed in annoyance. 'Stop thinking about it already. It's just jet lag. After you sleep you'll be as good as new," he consoled himself as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

**The next morning. . . **

Ryoma sleepily moved his hands from underneath his blankets and onto the small bedside table trying to find his small alarm clock which is currently trashing around and making irritating noises. He let his hand roam around the table top until he felt something tumbling away and falling down the floor with a loud crash. Instantly the ringing stopped and the whole room quieted down again. Satisfied in finally shutting off the offensive piece of technology he let himself immerse back to peaceful slumber. But before he could thoroughly go back to the world of his dreams someone decided to come along and started pounding the bedroom door.

"Ryo chan wake up. It's already half past eight, you're over sleeping again," it was Yukimura's voice that was sounding from outside the room

He ignored him and decided not to move an inch from his bed.

He knocked on the door louder as if he was already going to tear it down into pieces. "Echizen Ryoma. The food's getting cold."

He kicked away his blankets and angrily stood up from the bed awakening Karupin in the process. "Alright, I'm up already!!!," he shouted as he grabbed his robe and went inside the bathroom.

After taking his bath he went back to his room and put on a pair of khaki colored pants and blue button down shirt. He went directly towards the dining room, with karupin tucked in his arms, when he finished drying up his hair.

He frowned when he found no one when he arrived at the dining area. He allowed karupin to jump down and wander around the house, as he sauntered over to the kitchen. As he got nearer, he heard distinct sounds of frying and grilling. The delicious smell of grilled fish and boiling hot miso soup wafted through his nose as soon as he entered the area. He found Atobe and Yukimura busying them selves near the stove, were he saw the fish being turned over the steaming hot grill.

"Oi I thought the foods' getting cold," he commented and picked up a piece of cheese stick that is stacked up on a large bowl. "Why are you cooking? Is it Mrs. Leon's day off"

Yukimura turned towards him carrying a plate that contains the fish he had just finished grilling. He laid it down the table before removing the blue apron he was wearing. "I asked Keigo to help me cook our lunch just like when we were still kids."

"Oh so it's the 'reminiscing the past part' huh," he commented as he poked the delicious looking food.

When they were kids they would always drop by Keigo's house and watch Mrs. Leon cook. They would sometimes help her in small things just like chopping or peeling the onions. When they were already studying, they started to cook on their own. Well at first it tasted awful, but after a few more tries they had learned to perfect the taste. And he and Yukimura had grown to love Atobe's miso soup. While he and Yukimura focused on the grilled fish part. So whenever they sleep over, the next morning they would help each other and cook their favorite Japanese breakfast.

"It's fun to do that every once in a while. Besides, it's been a while since I have last seen Kei chan in a kitchen. I doubt that Hyotei even knows ore sama's prowess in the kitchen," he sniggered towards the Hyotei captain who was busy stirring the soup. He was wearing his custom made chef's hat and a purple apron with their faces etched on the small pocket stitched in front of it.

"It would be so unlike the Hyotei captain if he would be seen by others doing plebeian chores"

"You should be thankful that ore sama is doing this for you," Keigo grunted while pouring the soup onto the small bowls.

"It would be unfair if kei chan would also cook for Hyotei. Because for me his cooking abilities should only be exclusive for the two of us" Yukimura added while arranging the food on the table.

"Ittadakimasu," they chorused and started eating. Ryoma ate silently while watching his companions. Seeing them there, eating the way they were before, chatting and laughing. It was like the way they were back then. Unpretentious and free. Well maybe something's just never change. And it's a good thing.

* * *

**OMAKE**

**Ryoma: **_(shrieks and jumps away from Atobe while putting on a defensive stance) _Oi Monkey king stop molesting me.

**Atobe: **_(Smirks) _Huh, you're the one to act all innocent when you're the one who dove on top of me.

**Ryoma: **_(shakes in rage) _I told you someone pushed me.

**Atobe: **_(shakes his head) _Lies. . . all lies. Why don't you just admit that you're itching to get into ore samas pants so you made such bold move. _(waves hand in a dismissive manner) _Don't worry ore sama would be generous enough to grace you with his prowess.

**Ryoma: **Arrogant monkey

**Atobe: **Brat

**Ryoma: **Bald monkey _(smirks when he saw Atobe held his cleanly shaved head)_

**Atobe: **_(shocked when he didn't feel a single strand of his magnificent hair) _**You **_(Grabs Ryoma and kisses him)_

**Yukimura: **_(chuckles while hiding behind the bushes, right hand holding a razor) _Interesting

* * *

**A/N **I want to thank all those people who had been leaving reviews in my story. I really appreciate it. I am still mada mada dane but I promise to do my best in improving this story and the stories that are still to come. Oh and before I forget I was trying this thing about photoshop and I made my first poster but it's not that great really since I'm just a beginner. It's a poster for this story. If you'd like to see it just visit the link below. I would love to hear what you think about the poster. http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6025/willoftheheartcopyox6.jpg

**Reviews are very much appreciated. **It would really help me get all hyped up and inspired to make new chapters. **But No Flames please.**

—Owari—


	5. Anger and Confusion: A New Person Appear

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, cursings and ****LIME-ish SCENES!!!!**

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **DemonGirl13, SupernaturalFreak1, sakana, Haninozuka Mitsukuni, dichan, FlyingShadow666, Ria Sakazaki, Empress Satori, apocadelic, ChibisukeGirl, RuByMoOn17, SAPPHASH, AT-Y

**A/N **Yup I had already chosen the main pairing for this story. Thanks to those who had given me their votes. I am doing my very best to make this story more interesting as it progresses. While I am writing this particular chapter I had inserted several scenes and made last minute revisions which weren't in my original outline. I am a little hesitant in putting a lime in this one since it would be my first attempt in writing one. But I decided to try writing one just to spice up the plot and use it as a link to those secrets I had in store for the characters. Just hope it didn't end up sappy though. I had to edit and re-edit everything just to avoid making too much confusion because I had added several memory insertions in the outline.

dichan: Of course you can write about your speculations, I'd like to know what you're thinking about the story especially regarding those mysterious characters of mine.

Empress Satori: Yeah I'm also thinking about what name I could give for their pairing. Thanks for the suggestion of the possible name I could give them.

Other suggestions for the names for the pairing are very much accepted. . . c",)

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Enjoy the chapter. . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Four**

_**Anger and Confusion: A New Person Appears**_

* * *

Ryoma is gently tapping his fingers as he listened to the music blasting off from his cd player. He leaned his head beside the glass windows of the shuttle bus and gazed at the moving scenery outside of it. They are currently on their way to McGaizer camp, a prestigious private tennis camp known throughout America. Only the members of the elite society are able to step inside the said infrastructure and enjoy the luxurious amenities being offered by it. And the selection and training sessions for the upcoming tournament would be held there.

"Hey Ryoma want some chips?"

He moved his attention away from the window and saw Kevin bending over his chair while handing out a large bag of potato chips towards his direction. He raised his brows wondering why he suddenly offered him food.

"Well I just thought you might be hungry," he explained as if he had been able to read his thoughts. "Don't worry it's the newest flavor they have and it's really good." He assured while pushing the bag nearer.

Before he could even utter a single word Atobe who was plopped down beside him and was currently reading a book, removed his glasses and narrowed his eyes towards the blonde.

"Stop giving him those junk foods. It's not good for his health." He said dismissively.

"I just want Ryoma to have something different every once in a while, so I think potato chips aren't that bad." He recoiled.

"Oi American boy, tell it to me straight are you hitting on Ryoma?" he said bluntly that made Ryoma cough up in surprise.

"Aa, Atobe could you mellow it down a little," Yukimura shushed seeing that they were already catching everybody's attention.

"Oi monkey king, just what do you mean by that?" Ryoma sputtered out as he stared wide eyed towards the angry captain. When he glanced at Yukimura he noticed the frown marring the Rikkaidai captain's face.

But Kevin didn't even bat an eyelash as he faced Atobe's chilly stare head on. The Hyotei captain looked like he was about to give off steam any time soon as his eyes started to turn into slits.

"So what if I am? You've got a problem with that," he replied haughtily, and started munching on his snacks.

"You shall know your place American boy. Ore sama will not tolerate such impudent behavior from a plebeian like you," He remarked grimly.

"So what if I am a plebeian?" he counteracted.

"Are you challenging ore sama?" Atobe snapped.

Yukimura sighed, resisting the urge to join in the tongue lashing Atobe's giving to the bratty American. "Kevin it would be better if you'd stop provoking him. It wouldn't be a pretty sight if Atobe get's mad." Yukimura advised calmly. He gave Kevin a stern look before putting up a small smile.

Kevin shuddered as he looked at the calm yet sadistic boy. "Whatever," he shrugged and threw Ryoma a can of Ponta he got from his bag and disappeared back onto his seat. Unbeknownst to them Kevin is smiling broadly to himself. He pulled out a small notebook he was keeping in the pocket of his jacket and flipped it open. "So my theory was right. Those two have feelings for Ryoma." He grinned again as he made a mental celebration of triumph. "Step one: Make those two jealous. Check," he smirked and placed a check mark on the small list.

"You're going to get in trouble if they find out your meddling with their private lives," Kazuhiko Yamada, who might have over heard his self conversation, remarked as he maintained his focus on his PSP. Kevin forgot that his companion is Japanese so he surely knows how to speak and understand the language.

"They wouldn't know unless you tell them," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Say, you want to help me?" he wiggled his brows suggestively.

The data master looked up from his game and pushed his spectacles, that slipped down the bridge of his nose, casting him an inquisitive look. He shrugged. "Well it might be a big help to my data." He agreed in an indirect manner. "And besides Captain Ryoma, Manager Seiichi and Vice captain Keigo deserves to have a second chance," he mumbled towards himself which unintentionally reached Kevin's prying ears.

"Second chance?" he frowned. 'What does he mean by that?'

"What was that all about?" Ryoma asked Yukimura who was still looking behind Kevin's seat. "You're both acting weird."

"Aa, don't worry your self too much. It's nothing of great importance." Yukimura responded curtly and ruffled his hair.

"Che. Just keep out of trouble will you," he huffed before plugging his earphones back onto his ears.

"Keigo you should try controlling your temper or else we might end up getting in trouble," Yukimura sighed, shaking his head as he reclined on his seat.

"That kid is really starting to get on my nerves." He whispered, gritting his teeth.

"We're just starting anew with Ryoma so it wouldn't do us any good if we would act so impulsively. Besides I am also getting a little ticked off with him hanging all over Ryo chan but I'm trying my best not to terrorize him. Ryoma's going to throttle us if he knows that we're doing that to his friend."

"You think I don't know that already," he retorted sarcastically.

They cut their conversation short when the bus's engine stopped. Coach James, who was sitting on first row with the other coach, Mr. Martin of St. Icarus, who would also be joining them, stood up in the aisle.

"**Everyone, we are here. Kindly start grabbing your things and assemble in the lobby. We would be touring you around the place before we show you your rooms."**

"**Okay!" **they shouted in unison and one by one they stood up from their places.

"**Whoa!"** exclaimed Lawrence when they finally made their way down on the bus and saw the large concrete building in front of them. He wasn't the only one who seemed to be at awe because of the majestic place. Not only was the main building huge but so is the large tennis court area lined up around it and is being blocked by metal wirings. For a tennis player, this surely is a paradise.

"**Okay pipsqueaks, hurry along to the lobby so we could get started," **Coach James ushered everyone towards the main building. Once everyone was settled in the lobby the coaches gave them a brief instruction regarding the policies of the place before starting the tour. The whole first floor mainly consisted of the reception area, a large cafeteria with several restaurants having their own booths inside and serves food ranging from Asian to European cuisine. Five indoor tennis courts are found at the back room a hallway away from the reception area. Located on the second floor is the library with a large selection of classical works and other books gathered from all over the globe, a gym complete with different exercise and workout tools and of course the bedrooms.

"**We have allotted only one room for each school so you have to share." **Coach Martin explained while handing out the keys. **"Don't worry about the beds. We made sure that each one of you would be having your own so you could sleep well."**

Ryoma looked at the coach when he didn't get any key. **"Coach, why didn't you give us any key?"**

Coach James smiled, **"You three would be sleeping in the cottage Atobe had booked for the three of you." **

"**Cottage!!," **everyone yelled in surprise and instantly felt envious of the three since they would get the chance to sleep in a separate area and enjoy one of the camps luxurious facilities. From what they had been hearing, McGaizer camp's cottages are famous because of its elegant interior designs and expensive top of the line furnishings. But what made it so popular aren't the flashy appliances or designs but its simplicity that the builders had managed to pull out despite the luxurious materials they used.

"**Captain is so lucky to be sleeping in the cottage," **Lawrence, the ever faithful supporter of Ryoma, pouted.

"**Well maybe Vice Captain Keigo is really doing things intentionally," **Shawn, the silent tactician, commented while inserting the keys and opening the door of his room.

"**I hope that they'd finally be able to settle their issues," **Curtis murmured while unloading his things inside the built in cabinets of the room assigned to his school. **"They really look good together. Even though almost three years had already passed there's still that invisible wick between them that's just waiting to be burned again."**

After exiting the main building, Coach Martin was the one who had offered to lead them towards their cottage since Coach James needs to coordinate with the manager of the camp for tomorrows matches. They had managed to pass by a large garden abundant with different breeds of flowers and fruit bearing trees before they reached the small village were less than ten concrete cottages are erected, with various sizes and colors.

They stopped in front of the largest cottage which is located a few meters away from the man made lake. **"Here's your cottage," **he handed Atobe the key. **"I better get going. Be sure to be at the outdoor tennis courts by eight o' clock sharp." **After giving his last minute reminders he jogged off leaving them standing by the doorstep.

Atobe took the liberty of opening the door since he was already the one who's holding the key. He gathered up his things, entered the door and flicked the lights open.

"Are they sure that this is the biggest cottage in here? It's kind of small," Atobe commented as he started inspecting the whole room. The living room, which is the first room you would be able to see when you enter the door, isn't that extravagant. Though the furniture's are made of expensive wood materials, the designs were made simple yet elegant at the same time. The colors are mostly shades of blue that is simply calming and soothing to the senses. Ryoma felt relieved to know that this place isn't as flashy as Atobe's house, particularly the diva's room which is mostly made of gold.

"Just deal with it monkey king," he grunted, dragging his bags towards the bedroom. "Oi why is there only one bed in here?" he frowned when he saw that there is indeed only one bed in there. And from the looks of it only two people can fit in it.

"Just deal with it brat," Atobe teased as he breezed through the room.

"Aa, Ryo chan, I think it's better to have just one bed so we wouldn't get cold at night," Yukimura chimed in as he joined them after he finished arranging all his clothing in the walk in closet which is adjacent to the bathroom. "Besides wouldn't it be nice to have someone to cuddle with when sleeping," he added while hugging the freshman who froze upon body contact.

He felt a blush surging forth on his cheeks as he struggled to break free. "I'm not a teddy bear. Stop hugging me."

"Of course you aren't. You're much cuter than a teddy bear." He laughed and pinched his cheeks. He took Ryoma's bags away from the boy's hands and arranged the clothes himself. Ryoma, seeing that Yukimura already decided to do his task, walked over towards the balcony and slid the glass door which is separating it from the bedroom. There he saw a much clearer view of the lake. The stars shining down the sky were reflecting on the calm water. He shivered when he was knocked on by an icy blast of wind.

He leaned onto the metal railings and stared at the magnificent view.

"Oi Seiichi, stop hogging all the space in the closet." Atobe's pissed of voice sounded from inside the room.

"There are three empty closets left in here. Why don't you put your clothes in there?" Yukimura reasoned out. "Besides this closet is already full of my clothes and Ryoma's."

"So you say there's still three empty ones and yet you still shared with Ryoma's closet. How dare you outnumber ore sama?" Atobe yelled gruffly.

There was another series of yells and argumentations from inside before the noise finally died down. Ryoma wallowed himself in the eerie silence that suddenly draped over him. He glanced back inside the room to see if those two already came back from the closet but there wasn't any sign of them. "Where the heck are those two?" he thought as he squinted his eyes back towards the breath taking view.

A few more minutes and there still wasn't any sound coming from the room. He walked back inside the cottage and was about to barge right through the bathroom when the doorbell rang. Letting go of the doorknob, he went on and answered the door. The doorbell was being pushed continuously and Ryoma started to get annoyed by the impatient visitor. "Oi stop pressing the damn doorbell. I'm coming already," he yelled yanking the door open. The sight of one excited and gleaming blonde greeted him after he pulled the door open. Kevin.

"Oi Ryoma I'm hungry," he pouted.

"Quit bugging me . . . goodnight," he grunted in a dead pan voice giving Kevin a disinterested look and was about to shut the door in his face when Kevin stopped him from doing so by placing his feet in between the opening.

He continued smiling as if he was possessed by some spirit that wouldn't let him stop from grinning like a lunatic. "Come on let's go eat dinner. I know you haven't eaten anything yet."

Ryoma felt suspicious about that smile Kevin has on his face. It was clearly telling him that the boy is up to something pretty questionable and that something, and he would bet his life on it, involves him. "Why don't you ask the others to accompany you to dinner instead?"

"They already went off with their team mates. Besides I think it would be nice to eat with you, since we haven't seen each other for almost a month." He insisted tugging his arm.

"Kevin, are you up to something?" he asked dully.

"Why would you think of that?"

"Well aside from the fact that you've been trying to avoid any eye contact for what? A whole minute you're standing there, and your reason for asking me to eat dinner with you is quite debatable if you ask me."

"Come on I just really want to hang out with you. Nothing more, nothing less." He whined his hand tugging his arm became persistent.

"Right," he drawled still looking at the teen suspiciously. Kevin tried averting his eyes again for several times which just solidified Ryoma's speculations that he's up to something. Instead of prying on things further he decided to just give in to his persistence. From his past experiences, he knew that when the blonde is this persistent he wouldn't have that much choice other than to give in to him, well that is if he want to have a peace of mind. "Fine, I'll eat dinner with you. Just make sure you wouldn't be doing something or you'll be all on your own."

"Okay," he punched his fists in the air and latched himself onto Ryoma's arms. "Come on lets go. I'm famished."

"Wait! I would tell those two that were eating out," he stopped the boy from dragging him any further. He walked back towards the bathroom and knocked several times but received no response so he just entered without permission, but promptly regretted doing so. "I'm going to eat din. . . what the hell!!!" he sputtered out in horror as his eyes grew as big as saucers while looking at the scene unfolding in front of him. Ryoma felt like his soul had already left his body as he stood there by the doorway, completely frozen. He paled at a ghastly shade of white.

"Atobe. . . " Yukimura gasped when the latter descended down at the crook of his neck and started nipping sensuously at his skin. He kept on writhing underneath as Atobe's hands skillfully wandered off giving gentle caresses on his vulnerable body. The Hyotei captain then slid down from his neck and left feverish kisses as he trailed lower on his body. He shuddered and convulsed at Atobe's seductive ministrations.

Ryoma continued gaping at the two captains who were completely oblivious of his presence as they continued in their own intimate activity. Atobe continued doing his thing while ripping Yukimura's clothes until he was completely bare as the day he was born in front of him. Ryoma gulped several times, as his brain immediately went in overdrive. A deep crimson blush crept on his cheeks, clenching his fists tighter almost drawing blood as his nails dug on his skin. Though he was feeling quite embarrassed with the whole situation, there is that nagging feeling within him that's telling him that this scene wasn't something new to him. That it had already happened in his past. A past he had forgotten.

_Ryoma felt a blush forming down his cheeks as he walked down Herrington's corridors with Yukimura and Atobe walking on either side of him. Yukimura latched his arms firmly onto Ryoma's torso clearly showing his possessiveness towards the younger boy. Everyone where shamelessly pointing fingers towards their direction, as the trio walked past them while murmuring words towards one another._

_They stopped in front of his class room which is already starting to get crowded since classes would be starting anytime soon. "Aa, Ryo chan take care ne. Me and Kei chan would be here, right after we finish our classes so we could pick you up and we would go home together. Mom's going to cook your favorite dinner tonight so you should come over at our house." Yukimura smiled, leaning down to give him a small peck on the lips._

_Everyone started murmuring again._

"_Don't go sneaking off somewhere, or you'll suffer ore sama's punishment," Atobe drawled haughtily before he too leaned down and pecked him on the lips._

He blinked as another memory seemingly flashed right in front of his eyes.

_The locker room for the tennis club is already empty since every member were already in the tennis courts for morning practice but he and Atobe were left inside. The latter had asked him to stay behind because he needs to tell him something pretty important._

"_What are you--" before he could even utter another word he just found himself being locked into Atobe's arms while the other started to kiss him ardently._

"_Kei. . ," Ryoma moaned when the older boy roughly pushed him back onto the locker doors, hands slowly making their way inside his school uniform. _

Then another memory. . .

"_Ryo chan don't be afraid I won't hurt you. I love you," came Seiichi's soothing words as he slowly guided Ryoma's back onto the teacher's table before crashing his lips down onto the younger boys pouting ones._

"Atobe. . ." Seiichi gasped again before hauling Atobe onto the other side and started unbuttoning the said captain's shirt. Atobe's eyes were dazed as he allowed the other to overpower him. He just laid there on the tiled floors of the bathroom completely under Yukimura's mercy.

This time Ryoma couldn't hold his tongue no more. He was suddenly brought back to reality when the flood of memories stopped flowing in. "Ah!!! What the hell are you doing??!!"

Atobe and Yukimura looked at him at the same time before jumping away from one another in an instant. The Hyotei captain, who didn't seem as frantic as the other, calmly handed Yukimura the spare robe hanging on the rack.

"Ryoma let us explain," Yukimura started out while tying the sash of his robe.

"What the hell were you thinking??," he sneered, backing away when Yukimura moved towards him. Atobe just stayed silent as he stood by the corner.

Hurt flashed in Yukimuras eyes when the young prodigy moved away. "Please let us explain first." He said almost pleadingly.

Ryoma shook his head several times still coping up with the high intensity after shock he was feeling. An internal turmoil of emotion is still raging inside of him.

Kevin, who was waiting for him at the front door had heard the commotion going on, decided to come in and check out the situation at hand. "Ryoma is something wrong?" he asked worriedly, his bubble of excitement immediately bursting away when he saw the appalled and stricken face of his friend. He poked his head inside the room and realized almost instantly what had caused Ryoma to suddenly react like that. Basing from the disheveled state of those two captain's, Ryoma might have barged inside at a rather bad timing.

"Oi American boy, what the fuck are you doing here?" Atobe cursed when he saw the boy who's been the object of his anger as of lately standing by the entryway of the bathroom. "Stay the fuck out of this." He cursed again. He didn't care about his principle of not using such plebeian words for it would deem him as such a lowly person.

"I'm fetching Ryoma," he muttered darkly not sounding too pleased for being cursed so many times.

"Why the hell would you do that? He's not your dog for you to fetch him." He snarled, temper starting to really get loose.

"Are you so stupid to take things so literally? I thought you're intelligence is superior to those of plebeians like me. I'm here because Ryoma and I would be eating out for dinner, baka." He said waspishly.

"How dare you look down on ore sama," he flared up all ready to jump up and rip Kevin apart.

"Yamero Kei chan," Yukimura murmured hugging Atobe's waist to keep him from inflicting serious danger towards the American.

"He's not going with you so scram. Get lost." Atobe roared still fighting off from Yukimura's iron hug.

"Who told you that I won't be eating dinner with him?" Ryoma muttered coldly glaring at the thrashing boy.

"Because I forbid you to go with that annoying brat," he spat pointing one shaking finger towards the glaring Kevin.

Ryoma felt a vein throb at the side of his head upon hearing Atobe's commanding words. "Who the hell are you to tell me what I could and could not do?"

Atobe ceased his movements, freezing on his spot.

"Because, we are your best friends."

Ryoma gave out a hollow laughter and threw the two a mocking stare. "Well from my own point of view you aren't anything more than a mere acquaintance to me. Our friendship has been long gone when you abandoned me almost three years ago."

"But we did it for your own good," Yukimura interjected.

"You did it because you're both selfish. You did it because you are a bunch of cowards who wanted to escape some fucking thing I don't even know about because you didn't even have the guts to tell me." He was already starting to shake as he spat each word like venom slowly eating away his sanity.

"Ryoma. . ." Yukimura stammered feeling a lump had appeared in his throat preventing him from saying anything else.

"Come let's go eat dinner," Ryoma said blankly and spun around dragging Kevin out of the cottage without even letting him make any comment.

"Ryoma. . ."Yukimura called out again running towards the front door.

"Don't wait for me. I'm going to sleep in Kevin's room tonight." He muttered coldly before disappearing out of the cottage with Kevin in tow.

Yukimura felt a tear slip down his eyes as he slumped back on the wooden flooring of the living room. "He's afraid of us. . . . and he hates us."

"No he's not." Atobe interjected calmly.

"How could you say that when you saw how he reacted when I tried to get near him?" he replied forlornly, standing up and trudging back towards the bedroom. He let himself fall back to the softness of the bed while hugging the pillow close to him.

"That's how he had reacted before, Yukimura. Have you forgotten about that already?"

Yukimura flinched as he stared at the ceiling blankly. "Iie."

"Let's give him time to understand things all over again." He suggested while placing a comforting arm around the dejected captain's shoulders.

"If that fucking incident didn't happen he wouldn't have reacted like this, he wouldn't freak out on us." he muttered impulsively throwing the pillow across the room.

"I know," Atobe mumbled out.

Yukimura immediately felt guilty when he saw how Atobe looked when he had said that. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that." He apologized.

"It's alright. Besides I think that incident was done for the best. If he wouldn't know anything then he wouldn't fear anything." He grunted impassively.

"But to the extent that he also wouldn't remember that thing we have with him."

"Still, it's the best thing to happen at that time, although it was also rather hard to accept. It's better for Ryoma not to know anything, not until the right time comes. I don't want his life to be in any sort of danger."

"So that's the reason as to why you had left him in the first place?" he whispered observing closely to see his reactions.

But Atobe remained unfazed. "I had my reasons. And ore sama isn't a coward who escapes when things get out of hand. I did what the situation requires me to do"

"Good for you. I should have expected you to say things like that. How could I even think that you're just like me? I'm so stupid" He laughed pathetically.

"Yukimura—"

"When I saw him lurking around and watching us, I became afraid for my own safety that I decided to go and leave Ryoma. I didn't even think about what might happen to him when I leave him hanging alone in the dark. Ryoma's right, I am a coward." he cried out, shoulders shaking as he started to cry in silence.

Atobe ran a soothing hand down his back trying to calm him down.

"That might be the reason why God punished me with my disease. I had been so selfish I never thought about the implications my actions would give."

"No, it wasn't your fault. You're simply being human. Besides, we both know that brat isn't as narrow minded and as spoiled as others think he is, so he would be able to understand why we had to leave in the first place. And if you're going to ask me, you just did the right thing. At that time we're both still incapable of even protecting ourselves so what more of Ryoma."

"But I shouldn't have left him without even telling him any reason on why I need to go. I feel like a complete idiot."

"No you're not. When the right time comes we would tell Ryoma what he needs to know. But right now all we have to do is patch things up and try to reconcile our differences with him."

Yukimura smiled a little, somehow feeling relieved by Atobe's convincing words. "I didn't know you have quite a way with words.'

"Of course you expect so less of ore sama," he said airily while elegantly flicking his hair.

"Let's just cease this opportunity to make up for the lost times." Yukimura said determinedly.

"Step out of the shadows and protect him that's what we need to do. And sooner or later he'll understand why we had left him."

"Yes I hope he will. I hope it's not too late." Yukimura sighed and he leaned himself towards Atobe.

* * *

**Somewhere in New York**

He clamped the half consumed cigarette, jammed in his mouth, with his finger and started puffing out some smoke. Shaking the empty wine bottle perched on his lap, he cursed and threw it away sending it crashing down on the cracked up flooring and shattered into tiny pieces. He watched the flame dancing around the glass lamp, and flicked his cigar.

"Damn this life." He uttered sourly.

He heard the distinct sound of his cell phone ringing and saw it vibrating on top of the broken table. Clamping the cigar between his teeth he reached out and grabbed the noisy apparatus.

"Hello." Chuckling sounded from the other side of the line. "Oh it's you. What do you want?" he grumbled coolly.

"So is it true that you still haven't returned here in Japan."

"Yeah, so what?"

"Are you intending to stay there?"

"I need to finish some important business here before I go back to Japan. Besides, there's a bunch of worthless cretins that would surely be lurking around me when I go back."

"Make sure that your actions wouldn't sabotage the plans I had been working hard for."

"Yeah, I'm not stupid."

"Good. That's all." The line went dead and he carelessly threw back his phone onto the table before picking up the cigarette box and slid out another stick. He would get his revenge soon, but for now he should patiently wait for the right chance to strike. And everything would eventually fall back into its rightful place.

* * *

"Hey Ryoma if you keep on poking your food it might run away," Kevin joked but Ryoma didn't seem to hear what he had just said as he continued toying with his food. The young freshman looked like he still hadn't recovered from the shaking situation from a while ago. He's just spacing out on him. It isn't easy to rattle someone of Ryoma's stature but the event from before might have caused such big impact on him to make him act like this. He sighed and placed his fork back down on his plate. "Ryoma would you like to talk about it?"

No answer.

"Echizen Ryoma"

Ryoma snapped out of his trance and stared at him. "Huh?"

Kevin shook his head in frustration. "I was asking you if you'd like to talk to me about it."

"Iie."

"Don't worry, you can tell me what's on your mind. It's not good to keep everything bottled up inside of you. If you do, you might end up getting crazy from all the thinking."

Ryoma just shook his head before easing himself up from his chair. "I'm sorry I need to go first." He excused himself before going out of the cafeteria.

Kevin feeling worried about his friends' current state decided to follow him out. He wandered off in the dark with the small lamp posts guiding him through. He decided to check over the garden but he found no sign of the freshman. He went to the lake but was in no luck. After looking around a few more times he decided to go back to his room. Just when he was about to go round the curb leading to the front yard, he saw a shadow moving by the mango tree which is planted just outside the fenced tennis court area. He swerved onto that direction and saw the familiar looking white fila cap perched on top of the shadowy figure lounging underneath the tree.

He heaved out a sigh of relief as he bee lined towards his direction, trying his best not to make any distracting noises while walking over the grassy lawn. He slid down beside him and leaned his back onto the large trunk for support. The silence and stillness of the night bordered around them. Distinct noises made by crickets are the only sounds emanating from around them.

"I'm confused."

Kevin looked at his friend hearing the slightest hint of uncertainty in his statement. Ryoma looked so helpless and vulnerable as he slouched back him self onto the tree trunk, eyes tightly closed.

"I don't know where those images came from."

"Images?"

"I think I had seen snippets of my memories but I don't know when it had happened. I'm so damn confused." He clutched his head.

"Is that the reason why you're spacing out a while ago?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking about it," he said off handedly.

Kevin patted his shoulders in a comforting way making Ryoma smile involuntarily. "Don't worry yourself too much. Maybe those were just figments of your imagination."

"You're right maybe I am just over reacting." He concluded. "I should just stop thinking about it."

Silence ensued again. They just sat there, silently contemplating among themselves. The clock continued ticking away.

"Ryoma are you mad at those two?" Kevin asked out of the blue, effectively cutting off the thick blanket of silence hanging around them.

Ryoma opened his eyes and gazed skyward watching the stars twinkling in the darkness. "I'm not."

"Then why did you say those things to them? It looks like Yukimura is really affected with your words." He zipped up his jacket when he suddenly felt a cold gush of wind brush past them.

"I don't know. Maybe it was just a slip of the tongue. All these years I thought I had hated them enough that I could be numb when they're around. But I guess I couldn't really hate them at all. I am disappointed but not mad."

"So you've forgiven them already?"

"There's nothing to forgive, because they didn't do anything wrong in the first place. They don't owe me anything since I don't control them at all. They have their own lives and I am not liable to whatever they want to do with it. I am just their friend."

He noticed Ryoma's teeth started to chatter when another gush of wind blew against them. He removed his scarf he hung around his neck and handed it him. "Here, use this."

Ryoma looked at the scarf and took it without question. "Arigato."

"So would you be going back to the cottage tonight?"

"I don't think it would be the right thing for me to do given the situation. It's better if I would let things cool down a bit before we start talking about it. Besides I still feel like a jerk after saying those things to them."

"Yeah you should first try to collect your shattered confidence," Kevin teased dusting off his pants after standing up from his Indian seat position.

"Che." Ryoma groused and started making his way towards the main building.

"Oi Ryoma where are you going?"

"I would be sharing your room for the night."

"Why should it be my room?" He whined.

He shrugged. "Then I'll just go ask Lawrence and the others to share rooms with me."

"No. . .No that's not what I meant. It's just that. . . " he trailed off. "Ah what heck let's just go," he dragged him off towards his sleeping quarters and shut the door close.

* * *

Yukimura turned sideways and faced Atobe who is still as wide awake as him. The latter moved his hands away and Yukimura eased himself closer, burying his head at the crook of Atobe's neck.

Outside, rain started pouring in. Fierce flashes of lightning and rolling sounds of thunder echoed around. The plants, buried just outside the bedroom window silently tapped along the glass sill as it got blown along by the strong gusts of wind.

"You think Ryo chan is alright," Yukimura's voice sounded muffled as he stayed tucked underneath Atobes warmth. He felt him running a hand through his hair and he slowly relaxed in his hold allowing him in his simple deed.

"Yes. He would be alright. Go to sleep," Atobe drew the blankets closer around them and they both soon fell asleep.

* * *

Just outside the main building a figure stood underneath the cold rain clutching his jacket close to himself. A small smile graced his lips as he made his way through the heavy downpour and disappeared into the large architecture.

—**Owari—**

* * *

**A/N **Schools about to start in a week so I'm starting to rush in typing the succeeding chapters so I could still update at least twice or thrice a week. But don't worry I might go on forced hiatus only when things really get out of hand. As for now I would be updating as long as I can.

Reviews are very much appreciated. But no flames. . . Please review. . .

Arigato Gozaimasu minna-san


	6. A Familiar Face Reappears

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's **

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **apocadelic, DemonGirl13, Ria Sakazaki, angel-of-nothing, 1xmocha, FlyingShadow666, RuByMoOn17, Slave of Darkness, dichan, Empress Satori

**A/N **This is the final product of almost three days of being in the process of thorough upholstering. I came up with the idea of this chapter even before I wrote chapter five, so this explains the delay for the previous installment. Then while I am in the middle of typing chapter five another idea struck my head and I started working on the prologue for my next story which is an angsty fic for the Thrill pair, it would be out sometime in July. And I just noticed, reviews are decreasing, hmm, is it because the story's boring:p

dichan: Don't worry you didn't blow up any secrets. The mystery man would be revealed when we arrive in this stories first half.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Enjoy the chapter. . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Six**

_**A Familiar Face Re-appears**_

* * *

Kevin moved around the bed feeling the heat of the sun rays hitting his face. A heavy weight was draped over him that made it impossible for him to make that much motion. He tightened his eyes closed before slowly blinking them open. Instantaneously he had shut them close again when the sunlight directly greeted his still dilated pupils. The body splayed all over him then moved and rolled away. He cracked one eye open and looked at his friends' direction. He's still sleeping soundly, and a small smile was gracing his lips. Not a trace of last nights' dilemma could be hinted.

He felt thankful that Ryoma somehow managed to get back to his peaceful slumber after what had happened only a few hours after he had drifted off.

"_**Thanks for buying,"**__ the old cafeteria lady said while handing him out his change for the milk he had bought. He slipped the coins back on his pocket and pulled the bottle cap open, starting to drink it down. He swerved right through the tables and chairs, successfully exiting the canteen without having a single bump, even though he wasn't looking on where he was exactly walking at._

_He looked towards the large windows located on either side of the main hallway when he heard the loud tapping of the tree branches on the glass sills. He moved the white draperies and watched the darkness outside. The slight drizzle now turned out to be one quite nasty downpour. Thunder rolls and lightning would occasionally spark in the sky. The gusts of wind grew stronger as it swayed the plants outside together with its directional flow. _

_He sighed as he let the draperies fall back and covered the windows once again. He turned back and headed towards his room. Ryoma was already asleep when he went back down to buy some drinks. The noise made by the rain outside had proven it hard for him to sleep as well. The rain drops and thundering here and there is really disturbing for him. It feels like this is some kind off horror movie where a phantom would just jump out from the dark and scare the hell out of him. He shivered at the thought._

"_Hey Kevin!"_

_He stopped his steps toward the staircase and spun around towards the voice. He saw Kazuhiko standing by the doorway of the canteen with a can of orange juice in hand and a notebook on the other. The Japanese calmly walked over to him. "I saw Captain a while ago. Is he alright?" he asked in concern._

_He nodded. "Hai, he's fine. He just had a little misunderstanding with Atobe and Yukimura but it's nothing they couldn't fix."_

"_That's good. Where is he by the way?" _

"_He's in my room. He decided to share my room instead of going back to their cottage," he replied pointing upstairs were the sleeping quarters are located. They both climbed up towards the stairs still talking along the way._

"_Take care of him will you?" _

"_Don't worry. You need not tell me to do that." He murmured and pulled open the door of his room._

"_Arigato Kevin," he thanked before he disappeared inside his chambers, leaving Kevin blinking back at him. He shrugged and closed the door from behind him. He threw the empty milk bottle onto the trash can sitting beside the divan and went to the bathroom to wash his face. After patting his face dry, he slipped the towel back onto the rack and stepped inside the dark bedroom. The white curtain hanging on the partly opened balcony door was billowing violently against the harsh wind; rain water had flooded in on the flooring. He sighed as he walked over and slid the balcony door closed twisting the curtains to let the water drip away. He walked towards the small cabinet, where some tools for cleaning are kept, and pulled out a large rag and bucket. _

_As soon as he knelt down to wipe the floor dry, Ryoma started to move on the bed. He peeked up from the floor and saw him tossing and turning around as if he was in pain. His face contorted into several unreadable expressions. His normal breathing pace grew ragged and strained that immediately sent Kevin's alarm signals go on. Dropping the damp rag, he moved around towards the bed. Beads of sweat were trickling down the side of Ryoma's face and his hands were tightly gripping and scrunching up the blankets draped above him. Panic over rode him as he watched his friend's distressed form. The young prodigy started moaning and whimpering that made him even more panicked._

"_He's having a nightmare," he immediately sat on the bed's edge and tried to shake him awake. "Oi Ryoma, wake up." His whimpers grew louder, until he yelped as if he was in deep pain. Kevin almost kicked him in the face just to wake him up. "Oi Ryoma, damn you. Wake up you bastard." He cursed and shook his lithe body even more._

"_No!!!!" Ryoma yelled. His body convulsed and in a flash he bolted up in bed, wide eyed and horror stricken. His breath came in short painful gasps. Face as pale as a ghost. His body was shaking and trembling along._

"_Fucking hell," Kevin was knocked away from the bed and he held his aching forehead, which accidentally collided with Ryoma's when he sat up unceremoniously. He looked at the tennis prodigy who was blankly staring into space and he felt pity and worry for his friend. He hadn't seen the boy so afraid and as fragile as this. He pushed himself up from the floor and tried to reach out to him._

"_Ryoma." He felt his insides freeze when Ryoma side glanced towards his direction and pierced him with his burning golden eyes. Fright, that's what's clearly written in them. The boy flinched and cowered away when he attempted to touch him. "Ryoma. . ."_

_He moved little by little trying his best not to startle the latter. The trembling boy's body went rigid and he gazed towards him again, this time those eyes were no longer filled with emptiness and utter terror. "K—Keigo," he called out hesitantly. His eyes blinked several times as he moved inch by inch towards Kevin._

_He sighed and tried to nod in response. If Ryoma wants Keigo then so be it. It wouldn't be of any use if he would let go of his stubborn streak now. "Hai. It's Keigo." He gently tugged his unresisting hands and engulfed him in a hug. His hands were slowly running through his dark locks in a soothing manner._

"_Are you alright Keigo?" Ryoma murmured as his body slowly relaxed in his hold._

_Though slightly confused by his question, he managed to give out a small nod. "Hai. I'm alright. Go back to sleep now Ryoma. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," he whispered guiding him in lying back down on the bed. _

_His golden eyes were swirling with emotions as he glanced toward him. Happiness and relief was clearly evident on his face. While his eyelids were starting to flutter close he still managed to mumble something loud enough for him to hear. "I'm glad you're alright." _

_Kevin sighed as he gathered the blankets crumpled down the foot of the bed and rearranged it around Ryoma. He lifted his hands and tucked it safely underneath. His breathing is already starting to mellow down, showing that he's already falling asleep. With one last look at him, he went back to his cleaning job though his worries for Ryoma's welfare is still the thought that's running through his head._

He pushed himself up, swung his feet down the floor, careful not to awaken the other occupant of the bed. He ran a hand through his messy golden hair before sighing to himself. 'What happened to you in the past Ryoma?' he thought for a while before he stood up and walked over to the bathroom. After taking a nice long bath, he went back towards his room drying his hair with the large towel. Ryoma was still dozing off on the bed, now lying face first onto the large cotton pillows. He looked at the small alarm clock placed on top of the bureau. It's still an hour too early before the supposed assembly time in the outdoor tennis courts for today's selection matches. The line-up hadn't been revealed to them yet so they do not know who might be their opponents.

He looked over the mirror of the dresser and exhaled a rather heavy breath. He's been looking forward to the tennis matches. He is hoping that he could somehow be matched up with Ryoma but seeing his rather unstable state right now, makes him wonder if he could still manage to pull out a decent game. Tennis, after all needs FOCUS, lots and lots of concentration.

In the midst of his rumination, his stomach started to grumble and he remembered that he still hadn't eaten breakfast. He placed back the hairbrush he had been using and headed towards the door. After making sure that everything's alright for him to leave he gently closed the door and walked away. Before he could even reach the entryway of the canteen he remembered that Ryoma doesn't have any other clothes with him.

"Might as well drop by their cottage and get some of his clothes," he mumbled to himself as he sheered off. He knocked onto the dark wooden door of the said cottage several times before he heard shuffling noises and footsteps from inside. He let his hands fall back onto his side as he waited for the door to be opened. The slightly frowzy and disarrayed Atobe immediately came into focus once the entryway was opened.

"Who is the unworthy soul who dares to interrupt Ore sama at such an ungodly time of the day?" he greeted whimsically flicking his hands in the air.

"Me." He rendered phlegmatically.

Atobe's hands were left suspended in the air as his exacerbated eyes slanted towards him, shrinking into slits at a dangerous pace. "Oi American Boy what are you doing here in Ore sama's territory?" he snarled predatorily.

"I'm here to get some of Ryoma's clothes. He doesn't have any other clothes to wear." He explained, not even feeling a little perplexed by the formers obvious show of tenacity.

Atobe's fierce expression softened.

"Kei chan who is it?" the familiar voice came from inside that made the two of them almost jump up in surprise. Yukimura emerged from the room, droned in his black sweatpants and white cotton sleeveless shirt, and stood beside Atobe.

"It's the brat." Atobe grunted before stomping back towards the cottage. Yukimura shook his head in amusement as he spotted the diva throw himself onto the settee and violently flipped through the pages of the tennis magazine he got from the small magazine rack.

"How can I help you Kevin kun?" he asked politely watching the blonde cautiously.

"I'm here to get some of Ryoma's clothes." He repeated his agenda.

Yukimura's smile looked a little strained at the mention of the young prodigy's name. "Is that so? How is he?"

"Don't worry he's alright. He just vented out his steam last night but eventually it would completely seize out." He grinned.

The Rikkaidai captain smiled appreciatively and shook his hands. And for once his usual sadistic streak wasn't reeking out from him. Instead it was of genuine happiness. "Thanks for taking care of him."

Kevin understood the captain's worry towards the younger kid, because he's also feeling the same way, especially after what had happened last night. Even though he hate to admit it, he had grown afraid to leave his friend even for a second because he was scared that the latter would just do something irrational, considering his current state, and he would see him hanging on some ceiling or his wrist slashed open. Yeah those are such gruesome thoughts but those are the things that would tend to penetrate his mind every now and then. "Ryoma's my friend too so I would always be here for him."

"Come inside first," Yukimura didn't waste any time in letting him respond as he dragged the blonde inside the living room. He gently nudged him to sit down on one of the empty couch, which is opposite from the one Atobe's sitting at. "Sit there first while I go and prepare Ryoma's clothes."

"Hai."

Yukimura retreated back to the walk in closet, leaving him and Atobe to wallow in the ghostly silence that had seemingly engulfed the two of them. The occasional sound of Atobe turning the pages of the magazine which he hadn't really been reading and paying attention to since his focus was mainly on the bouncy tennis player is the only thing you would hear. As the minutes drew on, the silence started to get thicker that almost made it impossible for Kevin to breathe properly. Finally, Atobe snapped the reading material closed and threw it back onto the wooden table recklessly. His eyes boldly scrutinized him.

Kevin grew uneasy under the Hyotei captain's inquisitive look. He was contemplating on whether he should or should not inform them about Ryoma having a nightmare last night.

"How's Ryoma, huh Kevin?" Atobe drawled coolly still fixing his gaze towards the fidgeting teen neighboring near his seat.

"After last night, well he's all right. . .I suppose," he added unceremoniously that immediately perked Atobe's suspicion radar at the top notch. Kevin inwardly bit his tongue for slipping that one out. Now he'll surely get some Kevin bashing from the slightly irate diva.

"Could you make your answer a lot clearer? Is he alright or not?" he prodded.

Kevin averted his gaze, pinching his arms silently to remind him not to make any more mistakes. "He's alright. . . For now." He almost tore off his own skin when those words slipped out again. 'Damn you Kevin Smith. You're such a motor-mouth, a tattletale, a yapper, a certified chatterbox. Baka' he scolded himself.

"Ore sama demands you to tell those details you are poorly hiding with your certain lack of skills in fabricating lies." Atobe roared angrily eyes dilating towards him.

He gulped tugging the collar of his tennis shirt as if it was starting to suffocate him. Unconsciously he inched himself deeper into the comforts of his seat, trying to get as far away from Atobe as possible. "Okay, fine, I'll tell you."

"Good. Well then start spitting out the details before ore sama looses his patience," he tapped his foot onto the floor impatiently.

"You see last night Ryoma had a nightmare."

"Nightmare?"

"Yeah, he's been trembling and sweating profusely. He looked like he was in some kind of pain and he kept screaming. Then when he woke up he kept on mentioning your name and stuff."

"What are those stuffs that he had been saying?" He asked, curiosity taking the best of him.

"Well he just kept on asking me Keigo are you alright? Or I'm glad you're alright."

Atobe's forehead creased as he gazed at him suspiciously. "Why would he be asking you when it's Ore sama he's supposed to be talking to?"

He shrugged and leaned back onto his seat. "Well when Ryoma asked me if I was Keigo I said yes."

"You what?!" the livid diva yelled in surprise, abruptly standing up from the settee. "How dare you impersonate ore sama."

"Oi as if I had the choice, I just did that because I had too. Besides I wouldn't even dream of impersonating you in the first place." He rebuked dryly.

"You should be gratified that you had the chance to impersonate ore sama's magnificent self plebeian boy. Ore sama no bigi ni yoi na."

"Right."

Yukimura came back from the closet with a small paper bag in his hand. "Here, I also added some towels and a spare shirt for Ryoma to change into after the matches." He slid the box onto the table and sat down. "Is something going on? Atobe? Kevin?" he inquired after noticing the animosity between the two tennis players. Atobe decided to retell Kevin's story all over again. "Where is he? Is he alright?" worry marred his flawless face.

"Don't worry, he's still sound asleep when I left him a while ago." He assured.

"Poor Ryoma. It's all our fault, that's why he's been like this. That incident is haunting him Keigo, for God knows how long." He drew one shaky breath and exchanged knowing glances with the other who just nodded in response.

"Excuse me you guys. But is there something that I think I should be aware off. I mean I'm currently in charge of Ryoma's welfare since he's sharing my room, so I think I should know what's happening to him."

Yukimura shook his head. "No, don't worry. Everything's alright."

"Don't go butting in someone else's business American Boy. Besides if there is something going on, we won't tell you. You're a nosy kid."

"Oi monkey king what the hell do you mean by that?" he sneered.

"Aa. Kei chan, stop teasing him." He gave the Hyotei captain's hands a light squeeze. "Kevin kun, I'm afraid we can't tell you those things. Its kind off confidential. But I assure you things would somehow clear up. When the right time comes, the secret would expose itself on its own."

Kevin shrugged though still a bit bewildered by the sadistic boys' weird way of saying things. It was like a big jigsaw puzzle he couldn't put together. "Well I better go. I still need to get food for the two of us." He stood up and grabbed the bag. He bowed and walked over to the doorway.

"Chotto matte kudasai Kevin kun," Yukimura yelled after him.

He moved his hands away from the knob and glanced over his shoulders, giving them a questioning look.

"I made Ryo chans favorite Japanese breakfast. Could you—Could you please give it to him?" He asked eyes opening hesitantly.

He nodded and watched as the Rikkaidai captain hurried off towards the small kitchen. When he came back he was already carrying a large bento in his hand. "I added an extra so you could share with him." He smiled and handed him the food.

"Arigato gozaimasu," he thanked. "I'll go." He pulled the door open and stepped out leaving the two exchanging looks of longing and sadness.

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

**Japanese Team Selection Camp**

The whole cafeteria was a little rowdy with the tennis players of different schools in Japan gathered in there altogether. Each of them was grouped in different tables with their team members. But those schools with few selected players decided to join in with the others. Everyone was busy with either eating their dinner or chattering with one another. The coaches who were sitting by the table near the entryway were silently eating their meal while keeping a close eye on the tennis players, cautious about any fight that might suddenly erupt.

"It's such a pity that Echizen kun wasn't able to join the camp this time," commented Hanamura sensei as she watched the players happily interacting with one another.

Ryuzaki sensei fought the urge to raise her brows at the latters comment. She was extremely aware of her strange liking and attachment to their freshman. Too much attachment for her liking by the way. It seems that Hanamura sensei isn't just interested in him because of his prowess in tennis but also with the boy himself.

"Hanamura sensei it seems that you're showing quite an interest with our first year," she opted to comment instead.

"He's cute you know. Especially that stubborn and bratty attitude of his is extremely attractive to me," Hanamura sensei smiled as if those things she said were nothing.

"Keep your distance away from him Hanamura sensei. He's just a first year." She warned.

But the Jyosei coach didn't seem to be the least fazed by her threat. "We're just a few years apart so it isn't such a big deal Ryuzaki sensei."

"Still it isn't proper for you to LUST over our regular," she insisted gritting her teeth. 'Why is it so hard to pound some sense on this coach's head' she muttered under her breath.

"It's LOVE," she pointed out.

Her lips twitched in annoyance not bothering to comment on that any longer. There's really no hope to bend over this insistent woman's whims. It's not only because Ryoms is too young that makes her worry this much but it's the fact that Ryoma already has people who are guarding him like hawks. 'You'll never get past them alive if you keep on running after his heels' she shook her head and laughed silently.

"Nya Oishi I'm so happy. We're on the same team," Kikumaru chided happily as he started glomping his doubles partner. It seems that the news of him being grouped with his partner really heightened up the acrobat's energy and enthusiasm, who was obviously sulking after Echizen flew back to America.

"E—Eiji I can't breathe," Oishi gasped, face turning blue from the lack of air.

Kikumaru immediately released the other and smiled apologetically. "Gomen Oishi."

"Aa, Kikumaru it seems that you're really happy to be with Oishi," Fuji said innocently though other thoughts were running through his head.

"Of course. I miss Oishi," Eiji smiled adorably and latched himself onto the blushing vice captain.

"Eiji,' he stuttered starting to blush a little harder with his friends open display of affection towards him

Fuji smiled knowingly. "You know Eiji you two look like you'd make a good couple."

"Hoi." Eiji face faulted.

"Fu—Fuji."

"Fuji stop prying in other people's businesses," Tezuka scolded him. The tensai just smiled but obeyed nonetheless eyeing the two blushing seniors evilly.

"Baka Mamushi." Momoshiro retorted as he continued exchanging barbs with the viper. They had been going on like this ever since they realized that they would be on the same group together with Kamio and Inui.

"Shut up peach butt. . fssshhh," Kaidoh hissed.

"Teme—"

"Oi Bike thief, will you shut the hell up. You're so noisy," Kamio yelled. He's sharing tables with Seigaku together with Shinji and Tachibana.

"Aa, it seems that a love triangle is brewing up," Fuji commented again, watching the three with an amused look on his face. Inui stood up and silently walked over towards Kaidoh. The data master casually crouched down and whispered something in his kohai's ear and the two exited the canteen oblivious of the glances being casted behind their backs.

"Aa. My mistake. It seems that it's a love square that's brewing up." The tensai chuckled.

"I called Atobe a while ago and it seems that he's a little distressed. He just kept on yelling into the phone and wouldn't stop threatening me that if we wouldn't get a single spot in the line up he would definitely kick all of us out of the regulars," Shishido informed to his team mates.

"It must have something to do with the selection that's going on in there," Choutarou commented.

"Or maybe he's not doing well in the selections and he's losing big time," Gakuto joked and laughed boisterously earning glares from the rest of the Hyotei members.

"Gakuto don't make fun of Atobe," Oshitari said pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Don't talk about Atobe like that," Jiroh whined, who was surprisingly wide awake. It seems that the 'sleeping beauty' still hadn't gone over his excitement about the fact that he's been grouped with his two idols, namely: Fuji Syuusuke and Marui Bunta. He was snoring loudly before the announcement was made but immediately woke up and started to talk non stop about how happy and how amazing it was for him to be tagging along with the two. He was literally hanging all over the two prodigies.

"Maybe he just woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Choutarou commented again.

"That's nothing new. We know Atobe always wakes up on the wrong side of the bed," Shishido snorted thinking about the diva's snappy attitude.

The regular's agreed at that. Even Kabaji who was silently sitting with them responded, "Usu."

"Ne Sanada Fukubuchou have you heard anything from Maru Buchou," Kirihara asked the bull capped boy.

"Hai. I gave him a call a while ago but it seems that something is troubling him," He muttered sourly remembering the dullness of the said captain's voice when he had answered the phone.

"He's just missing us, that's for sure," Kirihara shrugged, showing how sure he was about the thing he had just said.

"Or maybe he can't handle the head aches he has around him," Marui snorted as he opened the box containing his favorite special flavored cake.

"Head aches?"

"That Echizen brat of Seigaku and Atobe Hyotei's egoistic captain," Marui groused dryly tagging the two said players with their own nicknames.

"Yeah those two are quite a handful," Sanada agreed. Atobe is really something too hard to handle considering the diva's tendency to continuously flaunt himself and his magnificence, especially his irritating ore sama crap. The there's Echizen whose bratty in nature and incredibly persistent. A living and breathing specimen of the small but terrible type.

"I wonder what's happening to Echizen right now," Takashi voiced out from across the table that immediately got everyone thinking. He had grown curious about their freshman's current condition after hearing the rather disturbing news about the captain's of Rikkaidai and Hyotei who were talking conversing with one another in their respective tables.

"I called Echizen this morning," Tezuka started that immediately perked up everyone's attention. All eyes focused on him.

"Aa, what did he say?" Fuji inquired.

"I didn't get to talk to him. It was Kevin who answered his phone."

"Whoa that annoying American brat answered the phone," Momoshiro yelled.

"Fssshhhh. . . When did they ever get so close?" kaidoh wondered aloud. He just came back inside the canteen with Inui.

"According to Kevin, Echizen is sleeping so he couldn't answer the phone. But he's alright and the matches would start today."

"Whoa again. Kevin is sleeping with Echizen," Momoshiro ranted out not knowing the implications of his words.

Inui started scribbling down his trusted notebook while Kaidoh blew out one long hiss like he was a leaking balloon.

"Nya Oishi that American is corrupting Ochibi's innocence. Nya let's save him Oishi." Kikumaru whined and tugged his partners arm.

"What was Echizen thinking? He's still so young to do such things," Oishi turned into his mother hen mode and started to babble his motherly speech.

Fuji's grinned widened. "Hmmm it seems that loves in the air. There's so many couples sprouting like mushrooms here and there."

Tezuka shook his head in frustration and felt the sudden gush of head ache. Had he known from the very beginning that his little news would cause such ruckus, he wouldn't have told them that in the first place. "I need some aspirin." He muttered as he went towards the clinic leaving the worried Seigaku players behind.

* * *

Ryoma felt something hot hitting across his face. He turned around and tugged the blankets over his head shielding himself away from the sunlight silently creeping inside the room. The alarm clock then started thrashing around violently. He poked his hands outwards and pushed the annoying piece of metal off of the table. He successfully knocked it out and sent it crashing down the floor, immediately silencing it. He was about to go back to sleep when his eyes snapped open again after the realization, that this is the first day of the selection matches, dawned on him. He sat up on his bed wide eyed and fully awake.

'Where am I?' he thought after he was greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar room. He roamed his eyes around surveying every corner. Then he remembered last nights' events reminding him where he was. "Yeah I'm in Kevin's room." He glanced towards the other side of the bed where the latter was supposed to be sleeping but he found the space vacated. He just guessed that he woke up earlier than him and decided to go out for a while. He sighed and waltzed towards the bathroom and took his bath. After he had thoroughly cleaned himself up, he then realized he have nothing else to wear.

"Ryoma, Where are you?" Kevin's voice sounded from outside the bathroom, followed by the noise of a door being closed.

"I'm in the bathroom. I don't have spare clothing. Could you lend me some?" He hollered out and slightly parted the door open.

Kevin held out a small paper bag in front of him, which he absent mindedly took away. "What are these?" he asked inspecting the contents of the bag.

"Those are your clothes. I dropped by your cottage a while ago to get some of your clothes. Yukimura picked them out for you."

He looked at the blonde who just shrugged off and walked back towards the bedroom. He sighed and closed back the door to dress him self up. The smell of his favorite Japanese breakfast assaulted his nose as soon as he got out of the bathroom.

"Did you buy those?" he inquired as he sat down on the stool next to the small table where the food is being arranged by Kevin.

"Yukimura made this for you."

Silence.

"They're worried about you Ryoma. Maybe you should go back and talk to them." The blonde suggested while grabbing the spare chopstick.

Silence again.

Kevin sighed and just started to chug down his food. "This food is good. Can't believe that he can cook this good?" he commented while savoring the aftertaste of his meal.

This time Ryoma gave out the slightest hint of smile. "Yeah. Seiichi's a really good cook." He murmured sadly. He closed the bento box and set it neatly on the counter before going over the bed to get the jacket inside the paper bag he tossed there a while ago. After he successfully zipped up the jacket he walked towards the door ready to leave.

"Oi Ryoma where are you going," Kevin called out after him.

"It's eight o' clock, matches would start soon. We better go there now or Coach James would have our heads," he muttered before leaving the blonde.

"Oi Ryoma. Matte," he yelled as he too dashed out of the room.

* * *

Coach James silently gazed by the large window of the management building and watched as the players started flooding in the outdoor tennis court area of the camp.

"**Are you sure you don't want me to tell him that you are here?"** he asked turning his attention away from the scene outside. He looked at the teenager sitting by the large swivel chair.

"**Yes. I don't want to distract his game. I know how important this is to him even though he doesn't say so,"** the boy answered back politely as he stuffed his hands inside the pocket of his denim jeans.

"**Very well. If that's what you like then I won't tell him anything."** He conceded.

The boy smirked. **"Thank you Coach. I really appreciate you doing this favor for me."**

"**Don't worry about it." **He smiled before he gazed back onto the window just in time to see Atobe and Yukimura entering the metal gates.

* * *

"Do you think everything's alright with Ryoma ne Atobe?" Yukimura asked as he tied his hair into a ponytail. The weather compared to yesterday was sweltering that he instantly started to sweat the minute they stepped out of the air conditioned cottage they are occupying.

"Yeah. He's going to be alright. Don't worry yourself too much." Atobe replied as he hitched his tennis bag higher onto his shoulders. On his other hand is Ryoma's tennis bag which Kevin had forgotten to take with him earlier.

The tennis players are almost complete when they had arrived with only two more players missing, which are Ryoma and Kevin. They headed directly towards the large bulletin board to check out the match schedules.

"Aa, it seems that Ryo chan would be having the honors of playing in the first match," Yukimura noted when he saw the younger boy's name written in Block A.

"And he's facing off with that annoying American Boy," Atobe muttered in distaste as he searched for his name and saw it on block C. "So I would be playing with Henry Barnes, the captain of Ridgestone Academy. . . It seems that this match would be easier than I expected." He added arrogantly.

Yukimura smiled at his arrogance. "And I'm on block D versus Shawn Sanders." His gaze flew over to his former team member and now a current player of Syruse University.

Shawn, who must have noticed the look being directed towards his direction, looked back and nodded towards them.

"Interesting opponent," Yukimura chuckled.

"That Coach James surely knows how to throw off such games except with mine. A game between the bratty pair and a game between a sadist and a psycho man most likely the mentally deranging pair." Atobe huffed tactlessly and crossed his arms against his chest. "Ore sama shouldn't settle for things such as this. I must demand for a serious and reasonable explanation."

Before Atobe could even stalk off, the gates swung open again revealing one giggling Kevin Smith and the ever aloof Echizen Ryoma. The two walked over towards them and checked out the schedule. Echizen tried his best to avoid any eye contact with them as he followed Kevin behind.

"Waahhh. . .Ryoma we're going against each other in the first match," Kevin grinned happily.

"Che," Ryoma muttered off handedly and tugged his cap.

"**Okay people. Since everyone's already here we would now be starting the first match between Ryoma and Kevin. Everyone please satnd by the bleachers first." **Coach James clapped his hands and the rest went back towards the sidelines to give way for the pair.

"Shit I forgot my racket," Ryoma cursed when he realized he forgot his tennis equipments.

As if on cue Atobe breezed back towards the court and gave Ryoma his tennis bag. "Thank ore sama for bringing this one for you. Seriously, next time make sure to bring weapons before you go on battle." The diva flipped his hair and elegantly took his exit.

"Oi Ryoma, are you just going to stand there all day?" Kevin who was already positioned on the other side called out to his attention.

"Shut up Kevin," he pulled out his racket and settled his bag onto the chair.

"I'm going to crush you Echizen Ryoma," the blonde muttered in his usual overweening tone.

"Mada Made dane," he grunted and prepared to do his twist serve.

The game lasted for almost two hours with a seemingly endless tie break. They were extremely going head to head. Not giving the other any opportunity to score consecutively. But after the climactic game, it finally came to an end with a result of seven games to six. In favor of Ryoma.

"Mada Mada Dane Kevin." Ryoma grinned as he slung his racket over his shoulders.

The rest of the matches went on smoothly. Ryoma's nerve wracking game was completely over thrown by Yukimura's. Theirs was a game of the minds. The one who is able to manipulate the other much better wins. And of course Yukimura gained victorious in the end. Protecting his title as the Sadistic player of Herrington and currently of Rikkaidai. Shawn maybe sadistic like him but he's more of a tactician who loves to turn tables the other way around rather to scare the shit out of his opponents because of his innate ability to scare others.

"Come on Ryoma let's go to the canteen before we hit the bunkers," Kevin whined dragging him out of the tennis courts.

He allowed the blonde to drag him off casting wary looks towards Yukimura and Atobe. The two just stared back at him with longing looks on their faces. They both sighed in resignation on opted to go back to the cottage instead.

"**Ryoma wait. Could you stay here for a while?" **Coach James stopped the young prodigy from completely walking out. Kevin stopped along with him. While Atobe and Yukimura halted as well curious as to why the coach would suddenly ask him to stay.

"**What is it coach?"**

"**I'd like you to meet someone."**

"**Huh?" **He asked forehead creasing up in confusion,

Coach James side stepped allowing them to see a shadowy figure standing by the very same tree he was in last night. The man's profile slowly became visible as he came towards the light. The slowly setting sun highlighted his body. A familiar cocky grin was plastered on his face as he swept his hands over a mop of black hair similar to Ryoma's.

Ryoma gasped along with Atobe and Yukimura who had immediately recognized the boy standing before them.

"Ryoga!!!!"

The boy smirked wider, placing one hand on his hips. "Long time no see. Chibisuke."

* * *

**A/N: **I didn't elaborate on the tennis matches since the focal point of the story is the secret hidden beneath the plot and not the sport. The suspense might start hitching up in the later chapters since the mysterious people would start revealing themselves one by one. Hope you like this one. It's not that action and drama filled like the other chappies. But don't worry more action and angst are about to come especially for the last five chapters.

Thanks to those who had been reviewing my story.

No flames please. Please read and review


	7. Ryoga’s Past: Inner Demons

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, violence, language **

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **apocadelic, SupernaturalFreak1, angel-of-nothing, RuByMoOn17, dichan, 1xmocha, DemonGirl13, eiarim.miraie, FlyingShadow666, Empress Satori, cherushiichan

**A/N** Yay I'm back with a new and sizzling update. This story wouldn't be that long, so the secrets would start to get revealed one by one especially the identity of the absolute antagonist in my plot. Stay tuned for the action packed culmination and the start of my thrill pair story.

dichan: The underscore in your name won't appear, sorry. Anyway I am thinking along having twenty to twenty five chapters, depending on how the story goes. I hope you and the others would be able to hang along until this one reaches its end.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

**

* * *

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**Chapter Seven**

_**Ryoga's Past: Inner Demons**_

* * *

Ryoga sighed as he stood up and walked over towards the bar located inside the room he would be occupying for the time being, here at McGaizer camp. Three days had already gone by but still, he hadn't had the single opportunity to talk with Ryoma. From what it seems the younger one is purposely avoiding making any contacts with him. And from his keen observation regarding his brother, it seems that he had some misunderstanding with Atobe and Yukimura. Since the last time he had been able to see his brother, which was almost eight years ago, the three where so inseparable. It was like the three were permanently attached with one another. Especially Yukimura and Ryoma. No matter where the other goes the other follows. He even envied the two for being able to have a bond that strong with his brother which he couldn't even achieve in return. But seeing how they seem to be avoiding each other, or rather it was only Ryoma who's been hiding all along since Atobe and Yukimura made several attempts to approach Ryoma, made him wonder what might have caused it. A fight almost seemed to be the most inevitable thing to happen between those best friends.

He blew out another exasperated breath. Youths are so troublesome, he thought as he got a new bottle of liquor from the wine rack. After refilling his empty ice bucket he went back to sit on his chair by the large window sill. He unscrewed the cork and it gave out a small pop as it came loose. He placed several ice cubes onto the glass and poured himself some drink.

He looked back towards the window when he heard cheers started to erupt from the tennis courts. "It seems that the games are finally finished," he murmured as he watched the bystanders rush inside and flock the winner for the last game in the selection matches. Once the crowd parted it revealed his brother being hoisted up on the blonde boys shoulder, which they had been calling Kevin. "So he's the winner. Figures," he groused disdainfully as he sipped his drink, while his focus was still strained over the tennis players.

Envy started to resurface as he looked at his brother's happy and victorious face. Everyone loves him. Everyone treasures him. Everyone cares for him. Everyone's there for him. His hands gripped the glass tighter, teeth slowly clenching together. Yes, Ryoma always had everything ever since they were kids. Even though he's older, ryoma is still the one whose been showered with love and affection. He's always the best especially through their father's eyes. Echizen Nanjiroh. Though Nanjiroh had been generous enough to teach him some of the ins and outs of tennis during the earlier days, his interest in further training him had eventually disappeared after Aunt Rinko gave birth to Ryoma. Yes Ryoma is only his half brother. He is Nanjiroh's son from some woman he had met before Rinko. His dad never once gave credit to his mother. To him his mom is just some passing fancy and not one to be given respect to.

And while Ryoma's basking in all the attention, where does that leave him, on the sides sulking and left alone in the dark. Wallowing in self pity and hatred that had been slowly growing in his young mind. He felt like an outcast. "Huh, it's better if I'd just be an outcast at least they know I existed," he muttered sarcastically, as he glared at the glass in his hand.

"_Oi chibisuke here I come," he hollered out from his side of the court as he prepared to serve._

_Ryoma stood by his spot holding the racket firmly in front of him. Determination was written in his burning golden orbs. Ryoga smirked as he threw the ball in the air and gracefully hit it on the other side. His brother rushed towards it with his nimble feet, but as soon as he came in close contact with the ball it flew back squarely hitting him in the face._

_He smirked and tapped his racket onto his shoulders arrogantly. "Twist serve."_

_Ryoma was still sitting on the ground blinking innocently. Then his lips started quivering and to his irritation he started another bout of his stupid wails. He spat on the dirt walking towards the fallen kid._

"_You're so pathetic. You can't even hit that ball. I wonder what dad saw in you that he's wasting his time training such a loser like you." He grumbled leaning over the net._

"_Ryoma!!!"_

_He straightened up and saw two familiar figures running towards their direction from inside their house. _

"_Che. Here comes the devils Seiichi and Keigo," he sneered as he watched the two kids launching themselves towards their fallen comrade. _

"_Ryo chan what's wrong?" the fragile looking boy who always had his eyes closed and a smile ever present in his lips asked worriedly as he checked on his friend for any serious injuries. His brother just sniffled pathetically like he was some abused kitten._

"_Oi what did you do to Ryoma?" Keigo eyed him menacingly, trying to look as intimidating as possible._

_He chuckled as he pressed one finger onto the arrogant kid's forehead. "I just taught him a lesson. What are you going to do about it, huh?"_

"_Ore sama will not let you harm my friend." Keigo barked darkly as he tried to lunge towards the elder boy. _

_Ryoga just gave out a bored sigh still keeping his finger onto the ragging boys' forehead. _

"_Oi kids what's going on here?" Nanjiroh appeared with Rinko walking behind him. _

"_Oh my, Ryoma!" gasped Rinko as she went towards her son who was still crying in the ground._

"_What happened here?" Nanjiroh inquired as he watched his wife start fussing over their son._

_Fingers pointed towards his direction, courtesy of Yukimura and Atobe. "He made Ryo chan cry papa Jiroh," Yukimura said clutching onto the older man's clothes._

"_He said he's teaching Ryo chan a lesson," Atobe whose large innocent eyes were glaring at him. "Papa Jiroh he's a big meanie."_

"_Is this true Ryoga?"_

_He shrugged after giving the little devils and spawns of his equally devilish brother a deadly glare. "So?"_

"_Apologize to your brother now Ryoga." Nanjiroh commanded._

"_That kids annoying dad. Why should I apologize to him? All he does is cry. A weakling like him deserves to be taught a lesson. Losers like him don't have a place in this world," he said haughtily._

"_Ryoga," Rinko sounded horrified as she lifted Ryoma onto her arms. Yukimura and Atobe then hid behind her back. Nanjiroh's eyes glittered with surprise to what his oldest son had just said. And before he knew it his hands already came in contact with the kids cheeks._

_SLAP!_

_Ryoga felt the bitching pain in his cheek as he stared wide eyed at his father. "I hate you."_

"_Nanjiroh you shouldn't have done that. He's just a kid. He doesn't know what he's saying," Rinko reprimanded as she placed one comforting arm around her husbands shaking shoulder._

"_Shut up bitch. This is all your fault. If you didn't give birth to Ryoma, dad would still love me. He would still care for me like he did before." He cried out tears generously streaming down his cheeks._

_Rinko was left rooted on her spot as she saw the hatred gleaming on the kids' eyes. She felt her insides churn at the sight._

"_I hate you! I hate that kid! I hate all of you!" he yelled before he disappeared into the woods near their house._

A small bitter smile furrowed on his pale lips as he recalled that memory. He could still feel the anger he felt that time. Anger large and deep enough to destroy the child that was within him. He was but a fragile child who was easily broken and just as easy to step on. Never in his miserable life did he ever feel like he was more than a trash. An unworthy piece of scrap material thrown away after they had acquired something new and something more promising than him.

_He quietly zipped up his bag after stuffing in the last piece of clothing he had from his closet. After making sure that it was thoroughly shut closed he started to open up the knob of his room poking his head out to make sure nobody was there to catch him. After finding no one in sight he widened the opening and dragged his luggage. The door gave out a little creaking sound when he had to close it back. Gently he tiptoed along the wooden floors of the living room._

"_Anata have you seen Ryoma?" He heard his Aunt Rinko yell from the kitchen. He easily hopped behind the large wall to hide himself from view when Nanjiroh suddenly appeared in the room._

"_He's in the backyard gathering some oranges," Nanjiroh answered throwing himself onto the large couch and started to flip through the freshly delivered newspaper he kept tucked underneath his armpits._

"_Could you help me out here first?" _

_His dad rolled his eyes as he folded back the news paper and trudged back to the kitchen. Ryoga let out a sigh of relief as he sneaked back onto the large oak doors and slipped out._

_Halfway through the front lawn he heard footsteps coming from behind. He started quickening his pace and hid behind the nearby tree dragging his duffel bag behind him. He slipped back on the large trunk and sighed in relief, hugging his bag towards him. After calming his erratically beating heart and regaining his normal breathing he peeked out just in time to see his younger brother running from the back yard carrying several pieces of oranges on his shirt. His eyes roamed around before he frowned to himself looking at the things he had brought along with him._

"_Aniki are you here?" He yelled eyes still looking around. He moved along but immediately tripped on his untied shoelaces, fell onto the grass lawn and was left sprawled all over the ground. He watched as he tried sitting up and checking out for any wounds. He saw a small bruise on his elbow and felt a small scrape on his right check. Feeling the slight sting brought about by his injuries made the youngster wail in pain._

_Ryoga saw his dad, Nanjiroh, come out of the house and walked casually towards his brother who was bawling his hearts out in the front yard. He crouched down and hoisted him up on his shoulders. His brother's wails turned into sobs and later on drifted into squeals of delight. His father spun around, earning a full blown laughter from his son. The endearing picture the father and son made could be heartwarming to some but not to him. _

_He looked up when thunder started booming out of nowhere. Lightning etched simultaneously on the slowly darkening sky, as thick black clouds moved along and covered the sun. The wind started blowing harsher and made the leaves flutter more violently swaying against the winds direction. Birds which were silently perched on the tree branches started flying away._

"_Anata, get inside the house. It's going to rain." He heard his Aunt Rinko holler from inside the house._

"_Oh," he yelled and walked back inside the house with Ryoma still perched on top of his shoulders. After he shut the door closed it started to drizzle._

_He moved out from his hiding spot, eyes lingering on their house. He felt tears start welling up in his eyes and he hastily wiped it away. The slight drizzle turned into a full blown heavy rain. He stood there unmoving, allowing the rain water to pelt down his skin. He felt his heart clench in pain and anger as he heard his families' joyful laughter._

_His eyes blazed in fury as he moved and dragged his bag with him. He never looked back as he made his way towards the life that would be ahead of him._

Ryoga looked back towards the tennis courts when the noises started to mellow down. The rowdy group where now neatly lined up in one single file as the coaches made some announcements in front. He reopened the bottle and poured himself another drink, going back to his reminiscing.

_He's been sleeping in one of the empty alleys in New York after he had gone away from home three days ago. He hadn't been able to find a decent place to stay so he opted to curl himself up inside the large box he found near the dumpster. He was also saving up the small piece of bread he snuck out with him, other than that he didn't get to eat any other decent food. Then when he woke up that morning he just found these three guys who were looking very much like some hooligans. They didn't say a word, instead the bulkiest and scariest among them picked him up from his shirt collar and dragged him back farther down the dark and smelly alley. He didn't utter any protests fearing that the guy would just start beating the pulp out of him. They entered a barely visible opening on one of the deserted infrastructure at the end of the alley. Vines were creeping up the deterring walls. Puddles of water were formed from the small drips coming from the leaking pipes. A small flickering light was swinging back and forth enlightening the place. _

_They wounded up several dark passages before they ended up in a fairly large room with a decent lighting. Barrels were all piled up beside the walls. He noticed a dark figure standing by the shadows hiding him self from their view._

"_**Boss we've found this kid in the lower regions," **__the bulky guy whose been manhandling him all along suddenly pushed him over making him topple down the flooded floors. _

_He cringed as he felt his face hit the stinky water. It smelled like hell. He shakily pushed himself away from the disgusting puddle and tried regaining his footing._

"_**You're new here aren't you?" **__The low guttural voice stated in a matter of fact tone. The figure from the dark moved and let him self get exposed by the light. _

"_**Ye-Yes," **__he stuttered as he watched the tattooed guy advance near him. He gulped involuntarily._

"_**Don't you know that you're threading on dangerous grounds boy?"**_

_He shook his head._

_His eyes drifted over to the backpack strapped on his back. __**"I see you ran away."**_

"_**Yes."**_

"_**Boss what are we going to do with this kid?" **__mister bulky asked eyeing him up and down._

"_**Should we start disposing him for you?" **__sun glassed dude with matching moustache started cracking his knuckles._

_But the boss held up his hand silencing them immediately. __**"Are you tough boy?"**_

_Ryoga blinked at him before he managed to nod again. __**"Yeah."**_

"_**Hmmm, very well," **__he kept nodding while his thumb ran the tip of his chin several times. __**"Leave him alone. He might be of big use to us and the organization."**_

"_**Yes boss."**_

_The boss smiled at him and held out his hand. __**"Dragon Snake's the name kid. Welcome to the pack." **__He said._

That was the start of his new life with the darker part of the world. Later on he just found out that those guys were part of the underground society. They were involved in illegal dealings with other companies. They smuggle some goods, such as illegal drugs, unlicensed fire arms and other unauthorized merchandises from several countries. They were also engaged in hired killings. And they had Ryoga trained for that. He was raised to be a skillful sniper. He may still be considered a kid but he's the deadliest among their group. Though there was no comfort and love between their group, he felt like he really belonged. At least they saw him as someone important. Not like his own family.

Six years had easily gone by and he had grown accustomed to the sight of gore and dead bodies lying in front of him. He had grown cold and numb to even feel pity for other peoples' misfortunes. He had grown to apply the principle of survival of the fittest in his life. The weak shall perish while the stronger shall live on and be better than they already are.

But some things just need to come to an end.

_Another gun shot was heard and he literally dove for cover. He fell in a sickening heap, near the rusty metal pile. Ignoring the pain hitting his knee he crawled low on the ground and pushed himself against the wall to conceal himself. His comrade who was already wounded ran towards him._

"_**Royce let's abort the mission," **__he said in urgency when continuous gun shots were shot between the two camps. They were already being outnumbered with some of their men already fallen dead. Even Dragon snake had been shot and life had already left his body. He winced when another shot was fired and bounced through the wall he was hiding at._

"_**I won't fucking back down with this bullshit," **__the bulky guy sitting beside him snarled as he replaced some bullets on his gun._

"_**We would die, damn it," **__he cursed as he shot the guy who suddenly appeared from the metal pile in front of them._

"_**To hell with death. I don't fucking care." **__The gunshots ceased and silence resurfaced. __**"Those bastards might have already used up all their bullets. Let's go,"**__ he moved from his spot._

_He tried stopping the man from revealing himself by gripping his shoulders. __**"Royce it might be a trap. Don't go out there."**_

"_**Let go. I'm going out there and assassinate all those bastards," **__he yelled as he walked out of their spot. As soon as he was left standing there in the open area, gunshots started firing again._

_Ryoga winced as he covered his ears. He cracked one eye open just in time to see Royce fall back on the floor, dead. For the first time in his life he felt human again. He felt fear grip his heart as he watched the dead body of Royce with eyes wide open staring at him lying on his own pool of blood. The sight haunted him. Footsteps were heard and he shook even more, gripping his gun within himself. He saw a bunch of men walking out and checking the dead bodies strewn all over._

"_**This one's dead," **__one man pronounced after checking some random guys pulse. _

_A dark cloaked figure emerged and looked at the direction on where he was hiding. He involuntarily squeezed himself against the wall, all the while cursing his brother for all that's happening to him right now. "I hate you Ryoma."_

_The man walked up to him and smiled. He removed his glasses and his eyes widened when he recognized the familiar looking face. "Uncle."_

"_Long time no see ne Ryoga," The man spoke up in perfect Japanese._

That was the start of a new chapter of his life. Two years after he had been taken under the care of his uncle, news of Ryoma participating in the U.S open reached his ears. His envy towards his brother grew ten fold as he watched his brothers consecutive success that enabled him to have the chance to gain the title of the youngest U.S. Open champion.

_He calmly sat by the bleachers, five rows away from the court area. His eyes were dull and cold as he scanned the entrance area waiting for the familiar form of his brother to emerge. People around him were chattering loudly and then they suddenly roared to life when Ryoma the rookie of the year graced the courts with his presence._

"_Chibisuke," though he hate to admit it a certain amount of happiness swept through him as he once again saw his brother after eight years of his absence. He still hadn't changed. He hadn't grown that tall, and he's still wearing his favorite white cap. But what he noticed is the dullness in his golden orbs and the grim smile pasted on his lips. _

"_Mada Mada Dane," he taunted his opponent and he couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips when he heard the younger one mutter their dad's favorite line._

_He felt at awe at the magnificence of his brother's play. The game was long and breath taking as the two players fought their best to gain the title of the U.S Open champion. But in the end Ryoma had gained victorious. _

"_Game, set and match. Won by Ryoma Echizen, japan. Seven games to six."_

_He had given pride to Japan. He once again gained everyone's respect and adoration._

_Reporters started mobbing the young prodigy after the awarding ceremony._

"_**Mr. Echizen what are your plans now after this game?"**_

"_**Will you be going pro?"**_

"_**To whom do you dedicate your victory?"**_

_Ryoma stopped and faced back the nosy media men. __**"I'd dedicate this one to my team mates from Seigaku."**_

_Ryoga twitched at the familiar name his brother mentioned. 'So dad really did send him to Seigaku.' He thought. He already expected Nanjiroh to send his brother to Seigaku since he had been hinting it in the first place. According to him he'd want Ryoma to graduate in his alma mater and be developed as a better tennis player by his former coach. He only want what's best for his son. He gritted his teeth in annoyance and quietly slipped out before someone notices his presence._

He emptied the bottle and slammed it back down onto the table making a little dent onto the glass surface of the table. "Patience Ryoga. You're here to try and change everything. Don't let your inner demons control you once again." He reminded himself as he pushed himself up from the chair and walked out of the room.

* * *

The silence was unnerving as they waited for the match to come to its glorious end. This is the last game that would determine who would be getting the last spot in the line up. Supposed to be Ryomas game would be held first but his opponent woke up late thus they were pushed back to play last.

Ryoma bounced the ball several times before preparing his stance to do his serve. As soon as the ball came in contact with the strings of his racket it was sent breezing to the other side without even giving his opponent the time to react. Everyone jaw dropped as they looked at the mark left by the ball on the court when the smoke made by the dirt finally cleared out.

"Wha—what the hell was that?" Kevin stared wide eyed as he looked at the ball lying innocently on the court.

"Scud serve?" Atobe muttered remembering it's similarity to that of Choutarou's serve.

Ryoma smirked and tapped his racket onto his shoulders cockily. **"That was the Comet serve." **

"That sounds familiar," Atobe muttered.

"Hey Kei chan," Yukimura called to him.

Atobe broke away from his musing and turned to look at Yukimura who was sporting an incredulous look on his face. "What is it Seiichi?"

"Isn't that the serve he did, when we were in our first National's Tournament for Herrington?" he inquired.

His eyes widened in realization when something seemingly snapped in his memory box. "Now I remember." He said snapping his fingers in satisfaction. "So that's why it felt familiar. That was the serve Ryoma had used to end that tie break with Thomas Higgins."

That was the legendary serve of Echizen Ryoma. The serve that earned him the title of a young tennis prodigy. At such a young age he had successfully maneuvered such amazing serve that couldn't be exceeded even by players in the pro circuit. He was the first one to exceed human expectations, or what others call as something normal. A serve that reached a blazing two hundred and fifty kilometer per hour speed.

The players walked over to the net and shook hands.

"**Congratulations Ryoma," **Nathan Wright, his opponent said as they stood there face to face.

"**Thanks," **he muttered while tugging the tip of his cap lower to hide his face.

"**Captain Ryoma is so amazing," **Lawrence cheered as he jumped in the air waving his hands wildly. The energetic and gymnastic tennis player somehow reminded Atobe of Jiroh, when it comes to his idols. They were so close to the point of worshipping, especially Jiroh who looks up to Fuji Syuusuke and Marui Bunta like they were some gods of tennis.

Kevin, who was spacing out a while ago after witnessing such a powerful move, finally snapped out of his trance and started to go in hyper mode. The blonde bundle of energy joined along with Lawrence's noise barrage. **"That was freaking great Ryoma."**

The two blonde boys broke loose from the bleachers and launched themselves towards the young prodigies direction who in turn just side stepped to prevent him self from being squashed flat. The other players joined in as well mobbing the poor freshman.

"**See Captain Ryoma is really the best," **Lawrence patronized as he latched himself onto the said boys arms. The blonde still wouldn't accept the fact that Ryoma wasn't his buchou any longer. For him, Ryoma still is and would always be his captain.

"**Of course he is, after all, the son of the man who had managed to defeat my dad," **Kevin boasted chest puffing out arrogantly.

"**Che, now you seem happy that your dad was defeated. From what I could recall you were so intent on crushing me in the beginning. You were even copying my techniques," **Ryoma groused dryly and smirked at the red faced teen.

"**Oi I was immature back then." **Kevin retorted.

"**You still are," **Ryoma's smirk widened.

"**Why you—"**

Before he could even guess what the blonde was thinking, Ryoma suddenly felt himself being lifted up from the ground. When he looked down he realized that he was now hoisted up onto the American boys shoulders.

"**Oi Kevin put me down," **He demanded narrowing his eyes.

Kevin just grinned ignoring the threatening signals Ryoma's been giving him just now.

"**I swear Kevin, if you drop me and have my head crack open I would forever haunt you," **he hissed gripping Kevin's hair when he almost fell back.

Everyone laughed at this. But their little celebration was cut short when Coach James finally appeared inside the courts. **"Alright pip squeaks assemble now." **He clapped his hands several times and the players started scampering off to form a single file.

"**Echizen Ryoma, Atobe Keigo, Yukimura Seiichi, Kevin Smith, Shawn Sanders, Kazuhiko Yamada, Lawrence Henderson, Curtis Thompson, I would like to personally congratulate the eight of you for making it to the line up. Tomorrow we would be starting our training sessions in preparation for the upcoming UJF Cup. That would be all. You're dismissed."**

Complaints were heard as the players one by one gathered their things and walked out of the court. But before any of them could make it any further Coach Martin emerged from the main building with a happy grin on his face.

"**Hey James everything's set," **he hollered out to the other coach that confused all of them.

The coach nodded and clapped his hands again. **"Alright pipsqueaks listen up. We would be having a celebration tonight in the canteen so be there or else?" **he threatened jokingly.

"**You're the best coach James, coach Martin!"**

Another bout of cheers erupted and the exhausted players ran back towards their rooms to refresh themselves with a nice long bath. Ryoma nodded towards them as they passed by him when he was walking down to the water fountain.

"Ah," He gave a satisfied hum when the cold water hit his face. "Ryoga, I know you're there," he grunted while wiping his face with his towel.

"Yoh chibisuke," he grinned and leaned onto the brick wall behind him.

"What do you want?" he grumbled dully, as he turned off the faucet and slung the damp cloth on his shoulders. He turned towards him shifting his arms in front of his chest.

"Can we talk?" he asked as he pushed himself away from the wall and strode nearer.

Ryoma just raised his brows.

"Ryoma I would just like to talk to you. You've been avoiding me ever since I had arrived here," he stated.

"Glad you've noticed that I was avoiding you. So why can't you notice that I also don't want to talk to you. Not now not ever," he muttered venomously and with finality.

"Ryoma I would just like to clear things up. I want to explain everything."

"Go to hell," he spat and spun on his heels. He hastily walked back towards the Kevin's room slamming the door loud enough for the nearby occupants to hear.

"Oi Ryoma is that you," Kevin called out from the bathroom.

"Yeah," he answered back and let himself topple back over the bed blowing out a heavy breath in the process.

The door of the bathroom creaked open and out came Kevin, already dressed in a fresh set of clothing while he rubbed off the excess water from his still dripping hair. "What happened to you? You look like you've been ran over by a bulldozer."

"I was ran over by a devil." he snorted, gathered his bathing materials and slammed the door of the bathroom.

"Oi stop destroying the doors. Jeez I'm not rich enough to pay for the damage," Kevin grumbled exasperatedly.

After the two of them had finished fixing up themselves, they walked downstairs and into the canteen were almost all the players are already gathered. Sounds were booming from the large speakers. The buffet table was overflowing with food and drinks. And the makeshift dance floor was already crowded by the partying people. Those players who weren't able to make it to the line-up were included in the celebration since they would be going back to their homes tomorrow.

"**Captain over here, over here," **Lawrence waved his hands signaling him to join their table.

He pushed his hands inside his pockets and strode over towards their direction with Kevin lagging along with him. He pulled the empty chair and plopped himself down on it.

The large swinging doors of the room suddenly swung open effectively catching everyone's attention.

"Che monkey king," he said and slouched back on his seat.

Atobe elegantly strode along the floor waving his hands in the air. "Be awed by my presence plebeians." He admonished that made the former Herrington members to laugh. The diva never changes. He's still the same vice captain who loves being flashy.

Yukimura walked behind him with that usual smile on his face.

Ryoma almost wanted to kill the bubbly gymnastic tennis player when he stood up again and called the new arrivals attentions. **"Vice Captain Keigo, Manager Seiichi over here. Captain Ryoma is also sitting here with us come on."**

Upon hearing the young prodigy's name the two immediately detoured and swerved towards their table.

"Ah Kevin kun I see that you're also here," Yukimura noted flashing the blonde an innocent smile.

Kevin gave him a lopsided grin before scooting farther away from the sadistic boy.

"**There are no more seats left Lawrence," **Yukimura turned to the other blonde.

"**Don't worry, don't worry. I'll fix that Manager Seiichi." **He saluted before he sauntered off towards the vacant table near them and dragged two seats back with him.

No one from the table moved to give way for the chairs so Ryoma just stood up and pulled his chair. The occupants exchanged knowing glances.

"**Thanks Ryo chan," **Yukimura said in a sing song voice before occupying the seat directly beside the said prodigy.

"**Whatever."**

The night passed by smoothly.

"Ryoma are you alright?" Kevin inquired when he noticed his friend spacing out. They were the only one's left in their table since the others were already getting wild on stage while Atobe and Yukimura left a while ago, and still haven't come back.

He sighed.

"You're worried about your brother Ryoga, aren't you?"

Ryoma's forehead creased. "Why should I get worried about that bastard?"

"Ryoma he's your brother."

"But he was never a brother to me. He was just a bastard who doesn't know anything other than to degrade me." He sneered.

"But admit it. You strived to be better so your brother could be proud of you."

He hung his head low.

"Talk to him."

"Yadda."

"Ryoma, let the guy explain first."

"Kevin—"

"Go." He encouraged while giving him a gentle nudge on the side.

He nodded before he stood up and walked back to towards the room being occupied by his brother. He knocked several times before he heard a voice respond from inside.

"**Who is it?"**

"It's me. Ryoma."

Silence ensued before the latter gave another response.

"The door's open, you may come in."

Hearing the needed permission he held the knob and slowly twisted it open. Darkness greeted him when he entered the room. He just stood by the doorway not knowing were to go.

"Close the door behind you," Ryoga commanded in a slurred voice that somehow sent chills ran down Ryoma's spine.

He silently followed him and closed the door. The unpleasant darkness soon engulfed him. The room fell silent, until Ryoga stood up from his chair and flicked the antique lamp open flooding the room with light. "I'm glad you came brother."

Ryoma could only nod in response as his eyes flew over to the small glass table overflowing with empty liquor bottles and cigarette butts. "Have you been drinking Ryoga?"

"Yeah just to ease the tension."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Everything, you, me, Aunt Rinko, Oyaji." He remarked with a cold voice.

"Tell me Ryoga where have you've been hiding all these years? Dad's been looking all over for you."

"Bullshit, don't lie to me Ryoma. Dad would never care to look for me. He doesn't care on wherever hell I am in."

"But he did look for you."

"Dad wouldn't bother wasting his precious time on me. But if it was you who's missing them I'm sure he would even turn the world upside down just to find you. His precious son. His treasure. The one who'd continue his dreams." He gritted his teeth, his words made Ryoma confused.

"Ryoga—"

"You're the reason why my life's all messed up."

Ryoma felt his temper rise at that. "How dare you accuse me like that? You should be blaming yourself for what's been happening to you Ryoga not me. You are the one who ran away."

Ryoga just laughed lifelessly lighting a new cigar.

"You can't handle the truth Ryoma. You and you're bitch of a mother ruined my life."

"Don't drag my mother into this you bastard."

"Yes I am a bastard. And what does that make you? A saint perhaps," he laughed again.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You want to know what's wrong to me? You want to know?. . .Huh," he roared. "Then I'll tell you what's wrong with me you fucking brat."

Ryoma flinched at the hatred he's seeing in his brothers' eyes.

"You are my problem. You and your mother. If you didn't come into our lives then dad would've married my mom. We would be able to live as a happy family. I would be the one to continue his dreams. I would be the best. The one which everyone will love. Not you." He pointed one shaking towards his direction.

"But we love you. You're the only one who's blind to even notice that."

"You took everything away from me, damn you. You don't have any conscience at all you brat."

His eyes flew back onto the glass table and something he didn't notice before caught his eyes. It was a small packet of white powder strewn along with the cigarette butts. But what made him widen his eyes more was the sight of the gun Ryoga had managed to pull from behind his jeans. The older boy placed the tip directly beside his temple with a mocking grin on his face. "Can your conscience handle this one brat?"

* * *

Yukimura looked back from the buffet table just in time to see Atobe quietly slipping out of the party area. He noticed that Kevin and Ryoma were the only one's left in the table and he guessed that the diva started to get eaten by the green eyed monster again. He took another glass of wine with him before strode back to their table.

"I would be going outside with Atobe for a while," he excused before following the Hyotei Captain.

He wandered off for a while before he had ended up in the garden and found the diva's familiar form standing by the rose bushes.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked while handing the latter the extra wine glass he got from the table a while ago.

"I just wanted to get some fresh air. The noise in there is suffocating me."

"Hmm, is it the noise or is it Ryoma?" he asked. Even though Atobe did not answer that one he already knew what his answer would be just by judging his facial reaction. "What are you planning to do?"

"Yukimura do you think it's time that we to talk to him?"

"I don't know."

"He's drifting away from us. If we won't tell him how we feel, sooner or later he'll just disappear from us."

"Kevin won't take him away from us Atobe. That kid may have feelings for Ryoma, but he surely knows his place," he stated sipping his drink.

"He may not take Ryoma away from us, but what if somebody else comes along. What if something happens?" he muttered with fear etched on his voice.

"You're talking about him are you?"

"Hai."

"He's been gone for such a long time. Maybe he already gave up?"

"Ryoga's been gone for eight years. And he's here now."

"You're right. . .and speaking of Ryoga don't you think that his appearance is kind of sudden."

Atobe looked at him. "I already thought of that. And seriously I don't have an ounce of trust towards that guy."

"Yeah remember the last time, when he made Ryo Chan cry." He thought wistfully.

"That bastard said he was teaching Ryoma a lesson." He growled pissed off by that certain memory.

"We should keep an eye on him Keigo."

"Hai. . . "

"And about the talk to Ryoma part, maybe you're right. Let's talk to him sooner."

* * *

Ryoma involuntarily shivered as he watched the gun pinned on his brothers head. And from the looks of it Ryoga's not kidding in shooting himself.

"Ryoga don't do that."

"Why chibisuke? Afraid that you'd get blamed. Afraid that this will ruin you're spotless reputation." Ryoga laughed maniacally.

"Please Ryoga. You don't know what you're doing, you're high on cocaine."

"I'm perfectly sane dear brother. Actually, I could never be saner than I am now."

Ryoma tried walking forwards but Ryoga immediately placed his fingers on the trigger making him stop almost instantly.

"A—Aniki please stop. Come back to Japan with me. We'll fix everything."

"You're making me laugh Ryoma."

"Aniki—"

"Shut up. . . shut up." He yelled covering his ears.

Ryoma took that as a chance and lunged towards his brother's form. They started wrestling and fighting for the gun. And then it happened.

BANG!!

The trigger was pulled.

* * *

Kevin twisted on his seat uncomfortably while looking at his wrist watch. "Where the heck is that guy? He's been gone for almost half an hour?" he muttered while pinning his eyes on his watch once again.

"**Is something wrong Kevin?"**

He looked up just in time to see Kazuhiko and the others walking back from the dance floor. Even Atobe and Yukimura were also back from outside, in fact they were already walking at the entrance of the canteen.

"**No nothing's wrong." **He said shaking his head, though he himself wasn't convinced with what he had said. 'Something's wrong" he muttered to himself as he writhed on his chair once again.

Atobe and Yukimura silently slipped back onto their previous seats and he could literally feel everybody's eyes boring through his skull.

"**Kevin where's Ryoma?" **Yukimura's melodious soft voice floated through his ears. He bit his lips and cringed.

"**He went upstairs. He said he's going to talk to his brother."**

"**He hasn't come back yet?" **This time it was Atobe who threw him a question.

He shook his head. **"He's been gone for almost half an hour. I'm starting to get worried." **He confessed. He saw Atobe and Yukimura exchange glances of worry. Then all of a sudden a sickening sound echoed around the whole building.

BANG!

The noise of a gun being fired broke through the happy ambience a while ago. Immediately all of them were up to their feet, shaking in fear and worry.

"**What was that?" **Coach James asked from behind them.

"**It think it's a gun shot coach James," **Kazuhiko stated.

"**It came from upstairs." **Shawn seconded.

"**Ryoma!!," **Atobe and Yukimura yelled in unison as they disappeared out of the room almost instantly as the realization hit them. The rest followed the two who were running like there's no tomorrow.

Atobe kicked the door open and the sight that greeted the rest of them was something that would surely haunt their nightmares for as long as they lived.

* * *

"Hmm, it seems that the show had started," a small smile formed on his pale and dry lips as he stepped onto the cigar he dropped down the grass. He disappeared back into the darkness as he watched a familiar figure running out of the building.

* * *

**A/N: **School starts tomorrow morning so I wouldn't be able to update faster. I hope you could all bear with me. I would be doing my best to pull out updates for all of you. Hang on people.

Thank you for your reviews. . .

Please read and review. . .

But no FLAMES. . . .


	8. Tension Arises: Life and Emptiness

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, violence, language, angst (lots of them) **

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **apocadelic, dichan, FlyingShadow666, angel-of-nothing, Insouciance, DemonGirl13, eiarim.miraie, ChibisukeGirl, OnlyInDarknessCanWeSee, Empress Satori, Enzeru Chan, 678yui-julie-and-kiki-kitte...

**A/N** I'm sorry for not being able to update for a whole week. I hope you'd be able to understand. I tried to make this chapter longer, fifteen pages to be exact, to make up for it. I have so many exams and other academic responsibilities I need to attend to that's why it's taking me too long to update. But I'm trying my best cause I don't want to disappoint any of you guys.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Carry on. . . . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Eight**

_**Tension Arises: Life and Emptiness**_

* * *

No one moved. No one spoke. All they did was to stare, stare and stare some more. They watched Ryoga's eyes widen as he held the gun in between him and Ryoma. The two just stood there motionless. Then the eerie void they were stuck on had finally dissipated. They heard Ryoma's painful intake of breath. The gun was dropped and fell on the floor with a sickening thud. Red splotches started to seep through and stain his pristine white shirt. The young prodigy hissed in pain as his shivering hands clutched his newly inflicted wound. 

"Ryo—Ryoga," gasped Ryoma as he took a step backwards. His knees wobbled as more blood gushed out of his injured stomach. Then in animated suspension, his feet gave out and he fell onto the floor, out cold.

Ryoga could do nothing but to watch as his brother slowly started to crumble down and fall unconscious down the ground before him. He just stared at him blankly, in a deep trance. The intent to avenge him self slowly started to mellow down and his long buried conscience started to surge forth. His lifeless apathetic eyes now showed a hint of shock and disgust towards himself. "Fuck! I killed him!" he cursed, and his body shook at the realization when he saw the proof of his crime, lying there just a few inches away from his feet. He held both his bloodied, soiled hands in front of him and stared at it with revulsion.

"What have I've done?" he glanced towards those people who were standing by the doorway. They were as immovable as him as they looked at the scene in front of them, horrified. He gazed back at his brother and dryness filled his throat. Step by step he moved away from his body. "I-I. . ." he didn't end his words anymore as he quickly spun on his heels and fled away.

Even after he left, everyone still weren't able to overcome their shock, not until the stricken Keigo slowly hugged Ryoma's seemingly lifeless body. The young heir rocked the prodigy's body back and forth in his lap with a fresh bunch of tears flowing abundantly out of his eyes.

Coach James who had seemingly finally broke out of his trance immediately ran for the telephone and asked for an ambulance. The others started flocking around the two tennis players in the middle of the room.

"Ryoma. . . ." Atobe sobbed clutching the boys' body tighter.

Yukimura felt his heart constrict down his chest as he watched the scene similar to that particular time almost three years ago. The look he, Atobe, had back then is just the same as now. Shattered.

"Ryoma," the Hyotei captain continued chanting out the name like a broken record as he kept his alerts high for anyone who might come too close to the two of them.

Kevin took a step forward and advanced towards the two but he immediately ceased his movements when a pair of ferocious eyes turned towards him. Atobe's eyes were narrowed into slits and imposed such great threat to whoever might be at the receiving end of those looks he's been giving off.

"Yukimura san what's happening to Atobe san?" he shakily asked the silent boy who now has his eyes wide open, and the smile he usually wore had been long gone.

"He's breaking down," he simply stated, his eyes not wavering away from them.

The others just stood there all in a state of panic as they watched the blood continuously oozing out of the young boys wound.

"He's loosing too much blood," Kevin shivered as he looked at his friends' bloody form.

"**Captain Ryoma," **Lawrence yelled and was about to lunge forward when the others took hold of his arm to stop his impulsive actions.

"**Lawrence calm down, will you," **Kazuhiko reprimanded while keeping his grip onto the trashing gymnasts arms.

"**Let me go damn it. . let me go," **Lawrence cursed trying to break away from them.

SLAP!

Lawrence's eyes widened as he felt the bitching pain aching down his cheeks, looking at Curtis with accusing eyes he snarled. **"Fuck, why did you do that?"**

"**Will you fucking calm down?" **Curtis, the most hotheaded of the lot, pierced him with a cold glare, hands still tingling from the contact.

"**How can I fucking calm down when Captain Ryoma's dying?" **he cursed again. His former team members could just look at him in sympathy. **"How can you all just fucking stand there and watch?"**

"**Everyone stop this," **Coack Martin roared out emerging back from downstairs carrying a basin of water. **"Don't make the situation tenser than it already is. It wouldn't help any of us if you're all like that." **He added, frustrated of how these kids were acting so harshly especially in a situation like this.

"**Coach can't we do something to stop the bleeding," **Shawn asked in urgency and turned to the older man standing by the doorway.

"**I'll wipe the blood," **Yukimura volunteered taking the basin away from the coach's grasp.

"**But Manager Seiichi . . . Vice Captain wont let anyone come near them." **Shawn argued shooting him a worried look.

Yukimura looked back at them and smiled. **"Don't worry I know how to handle this," **he stated and turned towards Keigo who was still cradling the pale boy. He took little steps so as to not to startle them. Once he had gained a good few inches away from them, Keigo's blood shot eyes turned to him.

"**Back off!!" **He snarled. **"You can't hurt him, so back off you bastards!!"**

He ignored the command as he gently laid down the basin onto the floor and reached out to touch the Hyotei Captain's arm.

"Keigo," he mumbled out softly as he ran his hand down his arms in a soothing manner. His shoulders stiffened a little but started to get relaxed as his ministrations continued. Keigo let me take care of Ryo chan." He dipped the towel onto the water and twisted it to get off the excess. He held out the prodigies arms and timidly wiped off the blood that ran down it. Tears started to well up in his eyes and it took him so much self control not to let it flow. 'You shouldn't be weak Seiichi' he berated himself as he soaked the bloodied cloth onto the basin once again.

Atobe continued cradling the other while continuously murmuring things down the unconscious boys ears. Tears were already blurring his steel hard and cold eyes, full of emptiness and pain. "This is all my fault. You shouldn't have protected me. I am the one he's aiming for, not you. I should be the one who's suffering." He sobbed. "Ryoma, onegai. . . . anata don't leave me." He gently caressed the prodigy's cheeks and leaned down to place a chaste kiss onto his pale lips.

Yukimura felt like his heart was slowly being ripped apart 'Oh Keigo, why are you always blaming yourself?' he cried out to himself as he watched them tearfully.

"**Manager is Vice Captain alright?" **Lawrence uttered hesitantly as he peeked out from behind Shawn and Curtis who were blocking his view.

He folded back the stained towels and gently brushed back the strands that fell down the prodigy's face. **"Let's just leave him with Ryoma until the medics arrive."**

"**Maybe it would be better if we'd take him to the clinic," **Shawn suggested. **"That way first aid could be applied, and maybe it would help lessen the bleeding."**

Without a second to spare several pairs of footsteps resounded from outside the room. Four men wearing pure white clothing rushed in with a stretcher in hand. The crowd immediately parted, and gave way. Two of them moved into attention and headed towards the pair. Yukimura and the others just watched on worriedly, not knowing what they could do to help lighten up the situation somehow. They felt helpless.

"**Can you tell us the details regarding this incident?"**

"**Would the UJF Cup push through when the supposed number one player of the American team is severely injured?"**

"**Is this a big threat to the American team?"**

"**Do you know who might have done this?"**

"**What is the involvement of the Atobe heir to the US Open champion?"**

All eyes swiveled back on the entrance door were the commotion started building up and found media men standing there and fighting their way through. How they heard of the shooting, is something that would remain a mystery to them. Camera's light bulbs went on as the camera men continuously snapped shots of different angles, while the nosy write up columnists insistently asked them questions pertaining to the incident. But none of them had the guts to spill out the beans.

"**Please respect our silence for now. We would be dealing with your questions properly once all things are cleared out." **Coach Martin informed while blocking the doorway to prevent them from pouring inside.

"**Let's give sympathy and respect to the victim and set aside your personal agendas for a while," **added Coach James in a soft spoken manner.

The players who had long turned away their attention from the media, leaving them in the coach's own devices, watched the medical team who were taking care of the problem.

The two medical men had managed to come in close contact and where already about to extract the victim from the overprotective captain's hold. But all hell broke loose when the motionless body was moved away from him. The loss of the mass he had been holding protectively within his caring arms gave him an immense amount of fright, that he started to grow hysterical.

Yukimura and Kazuhiko ceased the opportunity to help as they jumped in and took hold of the raging diva. The latter started trashing around, clawing and swiping away trying to get back the person they were depriving from him. Yukimura looked away, not able to take the pitiful state his friend is in. It could be counted as one of Atobe's extinct or rare ways of showing his emotion.

"**NO!!!. . . Ryoma. . Give him back to me. . . Please don't take him away," **he cried out almost miserably, fighting off the hands that were restraining him. **"Ryoma!!!"**

"**Please calm him down," **Yukimura pleaded and tears started to spill down his eyes like a leak in a water pipe.

"**Ryoma!!!! Don't leave me!!!!" **the boy begged, something very uncharacteristic for him to do. He just cried and cried while his voice was slowly starting to get raspy from all the screaming he's been doing.

The men who were holding the stretcher, were they had unloaded the bloodied prodigy, motioned to their other companions as they headed out of the room. One of them pulled out a syringe and a small bottle from his medical kit and walked towards them. He nodded in acknowledgement to Yukimura and Kazuhiko before he injected the medicine onto the Hyotei captain's arms.

It took a while before they noticed the effects of the medicine they had injected. His movements started to mellow down, almost futile. Atobe felt like he was floating in mid air, he was suddenly light headed. Like his strength was being sucked out from him and he was being pulled away from reality. He felt tired and had that intense urge to rest and escape the chaos he's into. **"Come back, Ryo. . . ma" **with those last words his eyes dropped close, as he blacked out completely from the world around him.

The medic moved around to carry the fallen boy but the Rikkaidai captain moved him away from the latter's reach. **"Please, I would be the one to carry him."**

He nodded. **"I understand."**

Yukimura held the sleeping captain in his arms, bridal style, and followed the medic out of the room, hoping to leave all these painful memories behind. A silent wish was burned within his heart, pleading that his friend won't suffer like he did before. 'Please God help him, help us, Keigo and I can't take that kind of heart ache again. We can't afford to loose Ryoma once more.'

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

**Japanese Team Camp**

The players gathered around the cafeteria, merrily enjoying their scrumptious meals. Just like any other days, they were doing nothing but to chat and eat, with instances of banter exchanges every once in a while. The third day of the selection camp would be starting, which mainly consists of outrageous training menus courtesy of Seigaku's data master Inui and Rikkaidai's own data genius, Renji who was personally scouted by the coaches to help in the training sessions.

"Teme, you want to fight Mamushi?" Momo growled as he threw an electrocuting glare at the viper.

They were arguing about the incident that had happened this morning when Kaidoh accidentally hit Momoshiro's head with his tennis bag when he slung it back on his shoulders He didn't notice the powerhouse walking so close behind him that when he hitched the bag carelessly it struck the latter's head.

"Bring it on peach butt. . . fsshhh," he hissed back holding out his fist in front of him.

Momo's anger fueled up seeing the gesture as a challenge of strength. He jumped up his seat, swung his arms in the air and started cracking his knuckles.

"Oi bike thief stop being such a show off," grunted Kamio who had just returned from the food counter to refill his plate.

"What, you want to fight me too? Come on I can easily bring you two down," he boasted.

No one from the table even bothered to step up in between the three.

"Mou, aren't they growing tired of fighting with each other everyday? It's really boring, ne Oishi?" he pouted at his doubles partner.

"Hai," he answered back briefly. He was too busy parting his food and giving the other half to Eiji.

Fuji watched the gesture with a serene smile in his face. "Aa, Oishi you're so thoughtful to Eiji. Imagine giving half of your food to him. It's sweet. Tezuka why aren't you sharing your food with me like Osihi?" He asked the captain innocently.

Tezuka just gave him a look before resuming back in eating his meal in silence.

Oishi on the other hand seemed affected by the comment he had made since he blushed and immediately settled back his plate onto the table. "Fu—Fuji," he stuttered and blushed some more.

"Nya, Tezuka tell Fujiko to stop teasing Oishi and me," Eiji said while latching himself onto the blushing vice captain's arms.

"Fuji I thought I told you to stop meddling with other people's businesses," Tezuka commented stifling the forthcoming headache.

"Saa," Fuji said mysteriously while grinning evilly.

Tezuka shook his head in frustration. He felt like another year has been added to him as he looked at his boyfriend's 'innocent face'. No wonder many people are thinking that he's much older than his real age. He's really getting old because of all these headaches, and the biggest one of them is a tensai named Fuji Syuusuke. Why he agreed to go out with the sadist still makes him wonder until now. And who knows he might age faster than Ryuuzaki sensei if this pace in his life goes on. He shuddered at the thought.

"Ano Eiji you're gripping my arms too tight," Oishi complained.

"Gomen Oishi," he apologized quickly making Fuji's grin go wider.

"Fuji san can you give me your autograph" the familiar voice squeeled out from behind the tensai.

Fuji and Tezuka looked back at the same time and saw Hyotei's 'sleeping beauty' holding out a black marker in his hand, a huge smile plastered on his usually sleepy face. Tezuka narrowed his eyes.

The tensai smiled and carefully signed the said boys white shirt, and added an extra bonus of a special dedication message. He placed back the lid of the pen and handed it to the joyous player. "Here you go, jiroh kun."

"Arigato Fuji san. . ." he bowed happily and bounded off towards his teams table were he started boasting about his newly acquired autograph. Another addition to his growing Fuji Syuusuke autographs and dedications collection.

"If I remember it correctly he also asked for your autograph a few hours ago. And this last one will tally everything to twenty five autograph sessions." Inui pushed up his glasses that fell down the bridge of his nose.

"Aa."

"I wonder what he's been doing with those autographs," Taka commented thoughtfully placing a finger under his chin.

Meanwhile Ryuzaki sensei sighed for umpteenth time of the morning. She looked troubled and that didn't pass the senses of the two other coach's sitting with her in the table.

"Ryuzaki sensei is something wrong?" Sakaki asked as he watched her fiddle with her water glass while staring into space.

She snapped out of her train of thoughts and found the thoughtful and worried faces of her fellow coaches. "Iie, I was just thinking. No need to worry." She faked a laugh.

Hanamura didn't seem to be convinced with her explanation as she decided to continue prodding on the matter. "You're spacing out even during the practice yesterday afternoon. Surely, you're not feeling well. Because if you are then you would have been able to focus on the training session of the players."

"Hanamura sensei I told you, I'm fine," she said exasperatedly. She held up her glass to drink only to find it empty. "I'm going to refill my gl—" before she could even utter a single word the glass in her hand suddenly slipped out of her hold and fell down the floor left shattering into tiny pieces. The sound of the breaking glass caught everyone's attention. "Don't worry the glass just slipped," she chuckled nervously.

She couldn't deny the fact that they were right. She really wasn't feeling well. When she had woken up that morning she felt sick to her stomach with a very unexplainable reason. It felt like something bad was bound to happen but she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

She shook her head and focused as she picked up the shards on the ground. "Thanks," she said gratefully towards the maintenance crew who had helped her clean up the mess. She slipped back onto her chair, exhausted before her cellular phone started to vibrate inside the pocket of her pants. She slipped it out and flipped the flap open.

"Moshi moshi," she greeted monotonously.

Silence.

"Hello?" she repeated. "Who is this?"

"Ryuuzaki sensei."

The familiar voice of Nanjiroh came through the line. A sudden gush of feelings flew past her that made her cringe involuntarily. Dread started to fill her being as she took note of the dead panned voice of the latter, he was usually sarcastic in nature and would rather call her baba than acknowledge her as his sensei and that roused up her suspicion that something's definitely wrong.

"Nanjiroh. . . "

"Please watch the news on the television right now," he backed up in a low voice, to the point of not being understood and impossible to be clearly heard.

"What's with the news?" she inquired.

"S—something happened in America. You'll find out when you watch the news. . . . ." The line went silent before she heard a deep sigh being released. Thru the simple gesture she felt the pain and sadness accompanied in it. "Li—listen, I got to go. Rinko and I still need to prepare for our flight to New York." He sighed again before he hanged up the phone. Ryuzaki remained immobile even after she heard the busy tone. An inner turmoil of emotion was raging inside of her that made her unable to react.

"Ryuzaki sensei may I ask who had called you just now" Sakaki sensei asked politely.

She threw the Hyotei coach a solemn look before she closed back her phone, shoving it back in her pockets in the process. "It was Nanjiroh. . . he's Ryoma's father." She searched for the familiar form of the television set and saw it directly behind where Fuji was currently positioned in. "Fuji can you please switch on the television." She smiled at the tensai who eyed her in confusion, but fulfilled the request nonetheless.

"Is there a problem Ryuzaki sensei?" Tezuka inquired noting the worried look on the Seigaku coach's face.

The older woman sighed trying to ease the burden in her chest. "It seems that there was an accident at the American teams side."

"Accident?!" all of the players yelled out in unison.

"Could it be Atobe?" Jiroh asked worriedly.

"Nya what could have happened to Ochibi?" whined Eiji who started to cling on his double's partner's body.

"Maybe Echizen's sick. He should be taking care of himself more," the mother hen babbled out.

"Is Yukimura's illness back?" Sanada looked at his team mates in worry.

The television set was finally opened and the first thing that had greeted them was the large headline of the news program. "U.S. Open Champion shot!!!"

The whole Seigaku team felt like their insides froze in an instant. Even Ryuzaki sensei had to lean on to her chair for support as her knees started to wobble down on her.

"Ryuzaki sensei you should seat down first," Hanamura sensei guided her back on her seat handing her a glass of water.

She mumbled out a simple thanks before drinking it down. The cold water running down her throat somehow helped in lessening the constriction she was feeling at the moment.

The news caster showed up next giving details about the incident. "News had been sent earlier by our American correspondent that there was an incident that had occurred within the American teams camp who would be representing the country for the upcoming UJF cup. It had been reported that the shooting incident had happened 8:00 p.m. American time. Naru would be reporting about the details."

Naru, the news correspondent, appeared in what seemed to be a bedroom. They could see other reporters standing behind her and were in a complete chaos. "Yes, there was an incident here in the American teams side. According to our reliable sources the shooting had happened a few hours ago, in this very room while the others were busy celebrating in McGaizer camp's cafeteria. The team wouldn't like to comment as of the moment."

The video showed the commotion earlier when the media arrived at the scene. Images flashed behind while the reporter voiced over other details about the scoop. They saw the camera lenses zoomed in the dim lighted room and focused on two people slouching in the middle of the room.

"Atobe!" The whole Hyotei team gasped as they watched their captain's familiar form cradling the Seigaku prodigy within his arms.

"Nya Oishi. . . Ochibi's hurt," Eiji cried out seeing the amount of blood staining their precious boys shirt.

Fuji eyes were snapped open, high and alert. 'How dare them hurt Echizen?' he snarled to himself clenching his fists. Tezuka who is the ever calm one placed a comforting arm around the tensai's shoulders.

The video caught the whole scene most especially the one's were Atobe was growing hysterical when two white clad men took the boy away from him.

"**NO!!!. . . Ryoma. . Give him back to me. . . Please don't take him away," **The diva cried out uncharacteristically that awed everyone in the room except Ryuzaki sensei who was so deep in her thoughts. Though he had said it in perfect English all of them even those who aren't that literate in the language understood his words since there was a Japanese subtitle below the screen. **"Ryoma!!!"**

Yukimura appeared next with another boy who also looks like he has a Japanese heritage. The Rikkaidai captain was crying along with the other captain while restraining him from his hysteria.

"Details of the shooting incident still remains vague as of this moment, and we would continuously watch out for recent developments. For now the tennis prodigy had already been sent to the hospital together with the young heir of Atobe Business Empire.

Sanada stood up and tuned off the television after the news was finished. The lively cafeteria was dead silent. Everyone was contemplating within them selves. More than shaken by what they just watched.

"Was that really Atobe?" Gakuto groused out blankly, not being able to believe that the man he had seen on t.v. was the same arrogant and flashy captain he had been seeing for the past few months.

"I can't believe I would see Atobe cry or even waste a single tear on anyone like that," Tachibana added.

"He wasn't only crying. . . he was mad. He finally lost it," Marui cringed. "Even Yukimura chan cried."

Ryuzaki sensei quietly stood up and walked over to the large window. She looked skyward, praying within herself intently. 'Please make them safe. Those kids had suffered long enough.'

* * *

Nanjiroh placed the phone in its cradle and saw his wife standing by the doorway of the bedroom. She looked older than her age because of the worried look she had on. If this one was any other day he would have surely started teasing her about it, but there's no time or any reason for them to laugh. For their son, as of this moment is fighting for his life. And they could loose him in the blink of an eye. 

"Nanjiroh, he's going to be fine right?" she asked quietly, sitting by the edge of the large queen sized been.

He pushed the luggage aside and took her fragile form in his arms. Her body started to tremble and small sobs erupted from her.

"Hush, everything's going to be fine. He's been through this and he was alright in the end. Ryoma's a tough kid. He would surely survive this one too." He appeased running a soothing hand down her back.

"I can't believe he has to suffer this much." She said shaking her head as a sob was caught in her throat.

The telephone rang again and he stood from his spot and picked it up. Glancing toward his still sobbing wife he said his usual greeting over the phone. "This is Nanjiroh's house. It's me, Echizen Nanjiroh speaking."

"Nanjiroh."

"Satoru?" He was a little taken aback by the call since he hadn't heard from his friend for such a long time, ever since he and his family migrated back to Japan.

"Have you watched the news?" the Atobe patriarch asked, direct to the point.

Understanding finally dawned on him. "Yeah, in fact Rinko and I would be booking the first flight available today."

Rinko looked up from her mourning state and gazed at her husband questioningly. He mouthed Satoru's name.

"You don't need to do that. You can come with me, I'm taking Atobe companies private jet."

"Thanks." He said gratefully.

"I already called Kyo," he said pertaining to the Yukimura patriarch. "He said he's coming with Aiko." It's Kyo's wife and Seiichi's mother.

"How about your wife Hana?"

"She's resting. She collapsed when she heard about the news. The family doctor advised that she'd rather stay at home."

"Alright I'll just see you later."

"Ja Ne."

* * *

Everyone was patiently standing outside of the operating room for nearly three hours now. Ryoma was wheeled inside and in that short span of time the nurses were to be seen rushing in and out of the secluded room with bags of blood. And from the looks of it the prodigy is still suffering from continued blood loss. 

The swivel door was pushed open and out came one of the doctor's handling Ryoma's case. He moved his face mask and approached them with a straight look in his face. Something is definitely not right seeing the medical man's expression.

"**Does he have any relatives here?"** he asked as he stopped in front of the group.

"**None. His family is in Japan." **Coach James who was leaning by the wall informed the doctor.

"**I'm going to be honest with you. The patient's condition isn't well. The gun shot was fatal and it narrowly missed hitting his liver. He's suffering a massive blood loss and still the bleeding won't stop, but we're doing the best we could. If the bleeding continuous we might run out of blood and we would need to have a donor willing to donate the same blood type as him."**

"**Doctor, we have the same blood type," **Yukimura voiced out sternly.

"**Good. One more thing though if ever the bleeding stops, the next forty eight hours would be critical and if he managed to survive we still aren't sure of the state he would be in after that. He might end up being paralyzed or suffer trauma. His heart beat stopped for almost a whole minute. Either way we're still not sure of the outcome. All we could do now is pray for the best." **He pulled back his mask and excused himself, disappearing back inside the operating room.

"**Coach James, I'm going to Keigo's room for a while. Just inform me when something happens," **Yukimura said standing up from his seat.

"**Okay go ahead."**

He nodded and spun around walking through the wide hallway leading to the row of private suites. 'Room 201: Keigo Atobe' the small signboard on the door states. He twisted the knob and pushed the door open, creaking a little. He stepped inside and carefully closed back the door behind him walking towards the bed on the far end of the room. Underneath the pristine white sheets lay the Hyotei Captain, eyes wide open and staring blankly in mid air. He was motionless and dead silent. He pulled the small tool beside the bed and sat on it, engulfing his friends cold hands with his. The latter woke up almost an hour after Ryoma was rushed to the hospital. Since then none of them weren't able to properly communicate with him.

"What's going on in your head Kei chan?" he asked bringing their intertwined hands near his cheeks while his free hand roamed around the latter's dark gray locks splayed over the white pillows. The boy didn't respond. He didn't blink. His lips didn't move. He just laid there like he was just a body without a soul.

From what the doctor had said a while ago the diva is suffering an emotional breakdown because of the recent events that had happened. And the painful memories that had happened in his past together with the shooting scenario he had witnessed earlier might have been the catalyst that triggered his sudden breakdown. He retreated within himself as a defense mechanism to protect himself from more pain that might be inflicted upon him.

"Stop blaming yourself Keigo. . . Let go of the past. . . Ryo chan needs you right now. . . Please come back to us," he murmured running his hand down the captain's hair. "Kei chan—"

His eyes flew back in his friends face when he saw the latter blink. True to his beliefs he was really blinking. In fact emotions were flooding his eyes and it somehow started to frighten Yukimura. The Hyotei captain's body started to convulse as his eyes started to grow impossibly wider. The Rikkaidai captain winced when he felt Atobe almost crushing his hands with his grip. Fright was clearly shown in the diva's eyes.

"Keigo. . ." he shook the boy. "Keigo. . what's happening to you?"

His head moved from side to side, body trashing around violently. Tears streamed down onto his cheeks.

"Keigo" He could do nothing else but the cry along hugging the convulsing body near him and waited for him to calm down by himself.

* * *

Keigo felt like his world crumbled down his feet and he was swallowed whole, buried six feet underneath. He felt lightheaded the instant he saw Ryoma standing there with Ryoga, a gun trapped in between their bodies. The young prodigy's painful look pained him ten fold. The bloodied shirt, the agonizing look and the shattering fall completely sucked out his rationality. All that existed is Ryoma and him. He felt like he was back at that time three years ago. The horror of his nightmares that would forever entail him is coming back. 

His feet moved in its own accord and soon he found himself cradling the boy's familiar form. Having him near calmed himself. He had sworn to protect Ryoma no matter what. No one could ever harm him again. Not when he's around.

He couldn't contain the tears that threatened to fall down his eyes. "Ryoma," he had continuously chanted out that name like a song replaying in his head.

He was completely oblivious of everything around him. But he felt alarmed and endangered when he suddenly felt another presence lurking near the two of them. His eyes narrowed into slits as he looked at the direction where he had felt the other presence was coming from. The approach stopped.

He calmed down for a bit before he felt another presence, this one has a stronger aura compared to the latter. Protectiveness overtook him.

"**Back off!!" **He snarled. **"You can't hurt him, so back off you bastards!!"**

"Keigo," the soft voice mumbled out to him then felt someone caressing his arms. He stiffened at the touch but slowly relaxed as he felt its familiarity.

Atobe continued cradling the other, while continuously murmuring things down the unconscious boys ears. The tears won't stop flowing, and he himself doesn't know where all of this are coming from. "This is all my fault. You shouldn't have protected me. I am the one he's aiming for, not you. I should be the one who's suffering." He sobbed. "Ryoma, onegai. . . . anata don't leave me." He held out his hands and gently caressed the prodigy's cheeks and leaned down to place a chaste kiss onto his pale lips.

He was content by just having Ryoma near him. But his sense of security soon crumbled down again when he felt the mass leave him. He grew frantic with the loss, with the emptiness that overcame him self. He started to go into havoc, swiping and clawing blindly. Yelling obscenities without having the care that he was indeed stooping himself down low by using such plebeian words. He was unable to move away as two pairs of hands clamped him down.

"**NO!!!. . . Ryoma. . Give him back to me. . . Please don't take him away," **he cried out almost miserably, fighting off the hands that were restraining him. **"Ryoma!!!" **

He was as scared as hell when Ryoma's presence completely left him. He was leaving him. He couldn't allow that.

"**Ryoma!!!! Don't leave me!!!!" **he pleaded, something very uncharacteristic for him to do. He just cried and cried while his voice was slowly starting to get raspy from all the screaming he's been doing. Tears were flowing out like a leaking faucet.

He continued his struggles until he felt a small tingle down his arms. And slowly he felt like he was floating in mid air. His surroundings became hazy. **"Come back, Ryo. . . ma" **With that his eyes closed, as he welcomed the darkness that soon engulfed him.

Atobe felt like it had already been an eternity when he opened his eyes. He was greeted by white ceilings staring directly above him. The smell of the hospital wafted through his nose and dread soon overflowed again. He soon realized that everything that had happened wasn't a dream. All of them were real. He continued staring blankly enclosing himself in a cocoon. Away from the pain, away from the loss and away from everything that might hurt him any further.

"Stop blaming yourself Keigo. . . Let go of the past. . . Ryo chan needs you right now. . . Please come back to us," the voice fleeted through his ears.

_He quietly slipped out of the living room, leaving Seiichi and Ryoma to play the video games by themselves. He walked up the stairs making sure that no one would see him entering his target destination. The library._

_He opened the door and closed it back quietly. He turned around and all he saw was darkness. He blindly moved his away around the large room and flicked the lights open. As soon as the room was flooded with light, his eyes automatically searched for the thing he came here for._

_His eyes were firmly glued on the shiny vault standing beside their large family portrait. He pulled out the sack he hid inside his pants and started to punch in the combination to open the vault. He pulled the handle and stuck his hands inside raking the contents towards the awaiting sack below._

His eyes widened in fright. He moved his head away. 'No please I don't want to remember that' he pleaded to himself.

"_Keigo what are you doing in here?"_

_Keigo almost jumped up in surprise when his father, whom he didn't notice had already entered the library, spoke up from behind him. He hid his hands holding the small sack in his back and faced his father's questioning look._

"_Dad. . "_

But memories still flowed like a river.

"_Keigo I asked you a question," Satoru said as he walked across the room with his cane. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Dad I can explain," he stuttered out in fright._

He blinked several times trying to escape the images he was seeing.

_His fathers' eyes flickered back onto the open titanium money vault beside him. His steps grew bigger as he came nearer. Keigo's knees were shaking now as he watched his father's rapid descent towards him._

"_Keigo explain yourself," he said authoritatively. "What are you doing here? And why is the vault open?"_

"_I was just looking around dad," he lied weakly._

_Instead of commenting back his father reached out and grabbed the thing he was hiding behind him. The sack slipped out of his hold and the contents spilled out onto the floor. His eyes widened in horror._

He moved his head to the other side, eyes widening even more.

_Satoru's palm collided with his sons cheeks. The sound echoed throughout the room before it was again overtaken by silence._

"_Dad I'm sorry," he cried when he fell down the floor with a loud thud. Satorus eye's were red with anger towards his son._

"_Why did you agree to help him?" He yelled body shaking in rage._

"_Dad, I can't tell you. Please, don't hurt me," he pleaded and cringed when he felt the sting of the bruise forming in his cheek. He fell back and crumpled down the floor weeping silently._

"_**I don't have a son like you you're a disgrace to the family."**__ He yelled and Atobe gasped when his father raised his cane ready to strike him away with it._

His heart hurts.

_Atobe awaited the collision of the cane within his body. He hugged himself tightly and curled up into a ball to lessen the impact on him self. He cracked one eye open and was horrified to see his best friend crouching directly in front of him._

"_**Ryoma!" **__It was too late. The impact came and it was Ryoma who cushioned it for him. On the corner of his eyes he saw his father standing by the sidelines rooted in his spot, wide eyed and unmoving._

"_**Ryoma get away!," **__he yelled in fear when he saw the distraught state his friend is in. He desperately tired to push him away but he didn't budge. Then in a blink of an eye it happened._

His body convulsed and started thrashing around.

_Bang!_

_Bang!_

_Two gunshots sounded through the night shattering the windows of the room. Satoru could only watch as little Ryoma took the blow that was obviously aimed towards Keigo and the impact flew him from across the room breaking the glass table he fell into. He looked at the window and saw a shadow standing there before disappearing almost instantly._

_Keigo who froze upon hearing the sound bolted up to his friends unmoving form. Lying in the heap of glass shards piercing through his tender flesh._

_Satoru dropped down his cane in shock as he watched the blood pooling around the kids. _

"_Ryoma why did you do that?" Keigo cried out as he cradled his friends' bloodied form in his lap._

_The said boy smiled at him weakly, blood trickling down his pale and shivering lips. "Baka, stop crying," he joked trying to wipe away the tear falling down the older boys eyes,._

"_You're the one who's stupid. You shouldn't have jump up like an idiot and protected me like you're some hero." He scolded._

"_Che, I would protect you over and over again if I could." He huffed arrogantly and coughed painfully, a mass of blood flowing out of him._

"_Why you idiot? Why?"_

"_Because I love you monkey king. That's why I would sacrifice everything for you." He smiled again before his eyes fluttered close._

"_Ryoma!!!"_

* * *

Yukimura sighed in relief as he draped the blankets back onto Atobe's sleeping form. The diva finally calmed down and eventually fell asleep after his frightening display a while ago. He was placing a light kiss onto his forehead when someone knocked on the door. 

"**Come in."**

The door creaked open and revealed five familiar faces standing there.

"Papa Jiroh, Mama Rinko, Papa Satoru, Mom, Dad," he acknowledged the new arrivals with a quivering voice.

He finally threw away his pride as he ran towards his mom's awaiting hands. "Oh my son," she said softly as she engulfed her sons fragile form protectively.

Satoru walked inside the room quietly swerving towards his sons sleeping form. "Is he alright?" he asked pertaining to his son.

Yukimura looked back from his mother, sobbing. "He was hysterical a while ago. But he fell asleep afterwards."

"What did the doctors tell you?" Nanjiroh inquired.

"He's not responding to anyone. The doctor's said that he's having an emotional breakdown."

"Poor keigo," Rinko muttered looking at the boy she had treated as her own with a sympathetic look.

"How about Ryoma?" His dad asked.

"He's still in the operating room." He said.

"How bad is it?"

"He's in critical condition. The bleeding won't stop and if that continues they would be in need of blood donors. And the next forty eight hours would be much more critical for him. If ever he wakes up he might end up paralyzed."

Rinko's body wracked again with sobs while Nanjiroh picked up his shattered strength and comforted his wife.

"Everything would be alright Rinko, Nanjiroh," the three parents said to the two comfortingly.

"We know," Nanjiroh breathed out casting Atobe another look before he resumed in comforting his wife.

* * *

A knock resounded inside the room before the large door was pushed open. The light coming from the hallway peeked through and enlightened the darkened room. 

"Master someone's here to see you," the butler said politely.

"Let him in." He ordered flicking his cigarette carelessly and switched on the antique table lamp on top of his desk.

The said visitor stepped into the light and a smile automatically formed on the 'masters' lips. He leaned back onto his chair giving the new arrival a knowing look. The boy standing in front of him gazed back at him blankly. Cold eyes struck him. Emotionless pair of eyes stared back. His lips upturned into a frown.

"I knew you'd be back." He said and smiled dangerously towards the boy who didn't even flinch by the slight edge in his voice.

"Yes, I am."

The game had indeed started. And sooner or later it would be his turn to serve and definitely win the game.

"Revenge is sweet." He grinned.

* * *

**A/N: **Supposedly my new story regarding the thrill pair would be out sometime in July. But I think I need to delay its release for a while since I'm too caught up with school work. Besides I also need to see first the National's arc, between Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku and Seishun Gakuen to know how the story would revolve. I'm already working on chapter 9. 

The delays are inevitable so please understand. Please hang on people. . .

Thanks to those who had reviewed my story so far.

No Flames please. . .

Please read and review. . .


	9. Staying Strong: Family Ties

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's**

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **FlyingShadow666, cherushiichan, eiarim.miraie, SAPPHASH, apocadelic, angel-of-nothing, 678yui-julie-and-kiki-kitte..., DemonGirl13, dichan, ChibisukeGirl, RuByMoOn17

**A/N** Yay I finally finished chapter nine. Not much Author's note for this one but I still hope that you'd be able to like this installment.

dichan: About the scenes for the OT3 don't worry I'd start elaborating on it when a formal relationship starts between them. As of now I'm elaborating more on each persons point of views and feelings.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Read, enjoy and review. . . . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Nine**

_**Staying Strong: Family Ties**_

* * *

Yukimura sighed as he lazily slouched backwards onto the wooden bench he was sitting at. He was currently staying at the hospital's garden were Ryoma is being confined. It had already been a week since he was admitted here but his condition doesn't seem to get any better. Ryoma's condition is still unstable. Though the doctors had assured them that the boys' condition would eventually improve, after the Seigaku freshman had surpassed the forty eight hour limit, doubt still remains within their hearts. 

His Mama Rinko and Papa Jiroh would make rotations on their schedule of looking out for Ryoma's welfare. He also volunteered, and though they were more than against the idea of obliging him, Yukimura was too stubborn to budge from his wills so the elders couldn't do anything other than to agree. There weren't that much complication regarding the young prodigy's condition except for that time about three days after Ryoma had fallen into a comma. The boys' heart stopped beating again.

'It seems that Ryoma's heart is fond of stopping nowadays' Yukimura's lips cracked into a tiny smile at the thought.

"_**Are you visiting someone here?" **_

_Yukimura spun around his heels and turned back towards the food counter were he heard the voice was coming from. The chubby old cafeteria lady was looking at him questioningly as she wiped her hands onto the apron she was wearing above her clothes. He nodded, clasping the food container in the plastic bag tightly in his hands._

"_**Yeah, someone special to me is confined here," **__he affirmed solemnly._

_The kind lady smiled at him reassuringly. __**"Don't worry he'd be fine, because he knows that there's someone like you waiting for him."**_

_He blinked. __**"T—Thank You." **__He stuttered. __**"I need to go. Thanks again ma'am for the compliment." **__He nodded towards the lady and stalked back to the cafeteria exit. By the time he had reached the door, he stopped again and glanced back towards the counter hoping to see the kind cafeteria lady standing behind it. But he found the previous spot empty. He wandered his eyes around but still found no sign of her._

_Shrugging he pushed his way out of the swivel doors and headed towards Ryoma's room. Upon reaching the door of his private hospital suite, Yukimura carefully turned the knob. Dread filled him as he slowly felt the coldness emanating from inside the darkened and secluded room. Just as soundless as he had opened the door, he pushed it closed and swerved directly towards the large bed located on one of the corners of the large room. _

_He deposited his food container on top of the side table before dragging out a chair and settled it right beside the edge of the bed. He slid down onto the seat and leaned back, eyes strained over the motionless body lying in the middle of the spacious bed. He extended his hands and tugged the blanket higher over the boy's chin and brushed away his dark locks splayed over his face. _

'_We need you Ryoma. . . .' he murmured down the younger boys ear._

_He let his eyes strain over the prone body a little longer before he pushed himself upwards and headed back to the side table to prepare his lunch. His stomach started to grumble impatiently when the delicious smell of the food he had bought from the cafeteria wafted through his sensitive nose. Smiling he unwrapped the Styrofoam box and revealed the decadent meal contained inside._

_He was just about to start eating when something cold flew past him that immediately made him freeze in his place. The hair at the back of his neck rose up. A little shaken by the unexpected scenario he dropped down his utensils and looked back towards the bed. He didn't know why but he somehow felt that Ryoma's presence had left. Yukimura shook his head and tried to focus._

"_Snap out of it Yukimura. . . . How could Ryoma leave when he's in comma? Baka," he berated himself, and chuckled at his ridiculousness. "I'm just hungry, that's why I'm starting to think too much."_

_Halfway through his peaceful and rather uneventful lunch the emptiness he had felt still wasn't appeased. After daintily spooning out the remnants of his food, he closed back the lid and placed everything he used inside the large plastic bag before throwing it onto the garbage can._

_The room was void of any noise except for the sounds being emanated from all the apparatus connected towards Ryoma's body. After making sure everything's fine he stepped inside the private bathroom and stayed there for a little while to fix him self up._

_When he had finally stepped out of the bath room, chaos had immediately greeted him. Doctors and nurses were huddled up and crowding the space where the bed is located. He started to step forward, wanting to know what's going on but halted his steps when he spotted the familiar forms of the Echizen parents standing by the doorway, with his Papa Jiroh in the act of soothing his crying wife. Even his Papa Satoru, Keigo's father, is also there. Supporting them emotionally despite his lack of response._

_Instead of going to his original destination he bee lined towards Ryomas parents. _

"_Papa Jiroh, what happened?" he asked confusedly looking at each one of them back and forth._

_Nanjiroh placed one comforting arm around his shaking wife's shoulders before he had managed to meet his questioning eyes._

"_When we arrived here a while ago we found out that he flat lined."_

_His eyes widened in shock. 'How could that be possible when I was with him just a while ago?' he thought._

"_That can't be true Papa Jiroh. I was with him a while ago. And he was just fine when I left him." He said growing hysterical as the minutes passed on._

_Nanjiroh looked at him tenderly and patted his head. "Don't worry Sei chan. . . Seishounen would be fine."_

_Rinko who was still sniffling, peeked out from under the older tennis player's arms. "He's right Sei chan. Ryoma's a tough boy. He won't leave you and Kei chan. Just like when he didn't leave you in the past."_

_Yukimura bit his quivering lips and looked at the commotion He could still hear the sound of the heart monitor flat lining. He dejectedly looked down to his feet, fisting his hands together. A few more minutes had passed when he felt the same cold feeling he had a while ago shot through him once again. Instantly his eyes shot up and roamed around trying to figure out what it was. _

"_Sei chan is there something wrong?" asked Rinko who must have noticed what he's been doing._

_Shaking his head he turned toward her. "No—Nothing." _

_Just as when he was about to check up on Ryomas condition something unexpected had happened. The hospital suite's door was thrown open in one swift move sending the door banging back onto the walls harshly. _

"_**Hey what do you think you—" **__before the irate Nanjiroh could even finish his statement his jaw was already dropping down in shock at the figure standing by the entry way._

_Even Rinko and Yukimura shared the same reaction as him. Theirs was a look of extreme disbelief and amazement._

"_Keigo," Yukimura who had finally recovered his shattered sanity gasped in surprise._

_It was indeed the Hyotei Captain himself who was standing by the door. Still clad in his hospital gown, barefooted. He was using his right hand to lean onto the door frame for support since his legs were a bit wobbly for the lack of activities this past few days. After all he was bed ridden._

_Yukimura felt like his heart would burst out in happiness. He could no longer see the empty shell he was seeing a few days ago. He wasn't as soul less as he had been. It was really Atobe who's standing there. Alive, revived and re-awakened. _

"_Keigo are you alright?" Nanjiroh immediately ran up to the boy's side who almost crumpled back, lending him some support._

"_I'm fine Papa Jiroh," he smiled weakly before his eyes flew over the bedside were the medic team were still bustling about. "How's Ryoma doing?"_

_Nanjiroh chewed on his lips and shot his wife a hesitant look. Rinko nodded. "He's not good."_

"_What do you mean not good Papa Jiroh?" wide teary eyes looked at the older man._

_Yukimura blew out a deep breath and closed his eyes. "His heart stopped again Keigo. The doctors are trying to revive him as of this moment." He pointed towards the spot were the bed is located._

"_He can't leave us Seiichi. . . He can't leave us," he whispered taking baby steps towards the bed. Yukimura looked at Nanjiroh and took the captain into his own arms._

_They squeezed themselves in between the group just to get a glimpse of the pale boy lying beneath the pristine white sheets. Yukimura's heart clenched in pain once again. He held Atobe's hands and drag both their hands to lay on top of Ryoma's pale one's._

'_Che, took you long enough bastards' came the sarcastic remark._

_Yukimura slipped his hand away in surprise when he heard that familiar voice. He felt electrocuted. His eyes immediately flew over the young prodigy's face only to find him still sleeping there, eyes tightly closed, lips were still like it was before, unmoving._

_Then he heard Atobe speak in a soothing manner while running his hands down the boys cheek. "Sorry Ryoma, if it took us this long to come back to you. Now it's your turn to come back to us."_

_He blinked back at the Hyotei captain. 'Could it be that I wasn't the only one who had heard it?' he thought to himself. He was just about to ask him when something else had caught his attention. The commotion stopped and the medical team gave out a whoop of joy and utter relief. His heart is beating once again. Ryoma's alive._

"_Your friend is strong boys," the doctor smiled at them. "He's fighting for his life."_

_The two captains felt overwhelmed. "Yes he's a fighter." Yukimura mumbled out._

"_And a stubborn brat too," Atobe snorted but he couldn't mask out the happiness he's really feeling at that moment._

"_He's our brat prince Atobe," Yukimura leaned his body towards the Hyotei captain while they watched the boys' chest steadily heaving up and down while he breathes._

"_And no one would be able to replace him in our hearts no matter what." They said in unison._

"Ponta," the voice stated.

Yukimura broke out from his stupor when he heard someone spoke up from beside him. He noticed a hand holding out a can of grape ponta in front of him. His eyes trailed along the length of the arm and saw Atobe looking back at him.

"Thanks," he said gratefully and grabbed the can from his hands.

The diva slipped his hands inside his pockets and looked skyward. Wind blew silently across from them, rustling the leaves of the luscious green trees. The soothing sound of the birds chirping as they perched themselves onto the branches could be heard.

"Have you visited him yet?" he asked the dark gray haired boy.

"Hai."

"Who's watching over him?" he inquired taking a sip of his drink.

"Papa Jiroh and mama Rinko had just arrived a while ago, so I left them to have some time alone with Ryoma." He answered back and walked over beside him slipping down onto the empty space of the bench.

"Neh Atobe. . . ."

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"You're already asking me something." He grumbled out sarcastically crossing his arms against his chest.

Yukimura chose to ignore the lewd comment. "What made you wake up?"

"Wake up?"

"What I mean is how did you manage to cope up with your emotional dilemma?"

"Oh. . . " the diva sighed. "I dreamed about him. He was telling me to snap out of it. He wants me to come back to you and to him in one piece. He doesn't want me looking like a moping bastard." He laughed dryly.

"Well I have to agree with him on that matter. You look really bad when you're moping," he grinned.

"Are you insulting ore sama?" Atobe asked threateningly but there was a playful glint in his eyes.

"Saa." He muttered cheekily.

"By the way have they found Ryoga yet?" Atobe asked out of the blue.

Yukimura's mood instantly turned sour when the bastards face appeared in his mind. "That bastard's too good in hiding himself. . . well he should be or else I'd be ripping him into tiny pieces even before he could breath." He responded sadistically, lips upturning into a smirk.

Atobe smiled lopsidedly at him. "You'll never change Seiichi."

"Aa, and that's what you like about me." He gave his infamous red herring smile and leaned his head onto the captain's shoulder.

"Egoistic Sadist."

"Monkey King"

They both laughed.

* * *

Atobe Satoru tiredly scooted further onto his leather swivel chair and threw back the folder he has in his hands along with the others which were piling on his large desk. He squinted his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. Feeling extremely agitated at the moment he tapped his fingers onto the table top impatiently, a gesture he has been doing ever since. 

"What the hell's happening here?" he muttered exasperatedly heaving out a heavy sigh. Problems had started pouring in all at the same time not giving him enough chance to even make a reaction. The suspicious data they had noticed a few days ago regarding the mysterious investor in Atobe company seemed to be a much bigger problem and a much deeper threat to their being than what they thought it would be.

This man definitely wasn't here to simply invest and make good money. But he seemed to have some other reasons for associating himself with the company.

He wanted to leave for Japan the soonest possible time but he was being held back by his worries for Keigo and his friends. Most especially Ryoma. He had been treating the boy like he was his own. The Echizen's, Yukimura's and the Atobe's had always been closely knit with one another. They had treated one another as a part of the family. Being there for one another whenever they needed to lend a helping hand or just be there for emotional support.

And when their kids where born, their bond just seem to strengthen even more. They even made a pact that they would bind their kids into marriage, but unfortunately all of their kids where all boys. Since Seiichi and Atobe were born two years before Ryoma, their hopes were still high, that somehow Nanjiroh and Rinko's child would be a girl. Then the pact could be held into place.

Somehow they felt quite disappointed when Rinko gave birth to a boy. But all disappointments were slowly flushed down the drain. Ryoma had turned out to be something much more than they had expected. The boy had been the source of their strength and joy ever since. Even though he was two years younger than Seiichi and Keigo it seems that he's more mature than the other two if you'd consider how he acts among his peers.

He could still remember the time when he, Ryoma, was first introduced to the two kids.

_Satoru felt his sons grip tighten around his hands when they entered the crowded backyard of the Echizen mansion. He could see the abundant number of guests huddling together in different tables scattered all over the grassy yard. The buffet table was overflowing with different drinks and food. While colorful streamers and banners were seen hanging on the orange trees. Songs are also blasting from the large speakers._

"_Dad. . ." Keigo murmured out meekly and gave his hand a small tug to catch his fathers attention._

_He looked down towards his son questioningly. "What's the matter?"_

"_Can we go home now?" his large innocent eyes focused on him full of uncertainty. The little boy unconsciously edged himself nearer to the older man._

_He couldn't help but chuckle toward his sons' reaction toward the crowd. Keigo isn't that sociable to other people. In fact as far as he could know he wasn't communicating with children his change at all, except for Seiichi who is coming by their house almost everyday. The boy was the only one who seem to be able to communicate with his son really well._

_Before he could even open his mouth to make a comment, a squeal had caught both their attentions. A small smile graced his lips as he saw the familiar figure running up towards them followed by four adults who were also smiling down at the rushing boy. _

"_Hey Satoru. . .you finally arrived," Nanjiroh hollered out boisterously with the Yukimura parents walking behind him. _

"_You're late once again," Kyo, the Yukimura patriarch, shook his head towards his friend._

_Satoru merely shrugged. "Fashionably late my friend. . . a person of ore samas stature deserves to have a grand entrance."_

"_Che," Nanjiroh snorted._

"_Neh Keigo, I thought you won't be coming anymore." Little Seiichi said enthusiastically while swinging Keigo's arms back and forth. "I was beginning to get worried."_

_The boy was incredibly smart for his age, and so is Keigo. _

"_I'm glad you're here Sei chan," the dark gray haired boy's lips had finally showed a smile, eyes sparkling with happiness._

"_Of course. I wouldn't miss this chance for me to meet a new friend," he grinned._

"_Aa." Keigo's smile became crooked._

_Seiichi blinked at him, the hand tugging his arms grew more persistent. "Neh Keigo, aren't you happy that we're finally going to see Ryo chan?"_

"_Iie it's not that." He denied while casting down his eyes, shuffling his shoes onto the grass._

"_Then why are you acting that way?" the persistent boy insisted. His face was full of un-denied curiosity._

_The boy being asked bit his lips and fidgeted his fingers together. "I'm afraid he won't like me."_

"_Aa, what are you talking about Keigo. Of course Ryo chan would like you. Kei chan is the most likeable person I know," Seiichi cooed and clung towards the now blushing boy._

_The adults couldn't help but chuckle at their little display of affection towards one another. _

"_If they weren't both boys. . . I'd say they look cute together," Rinko smiled._

_Satoru, Kyo and Nanjiroh looked at her, horrified by what she had just said._

"_Rinko I don't think that's a very good thing to say," Kyo the ever calm one, sweatdropped._

"_Eh, I think Rinko's right. These two really look cute together," Aiko, Seiichi's mom, commented wistfully._

"_Aiko!!," Kyo narrowed his eyes at his wife._

"_Satoru thank goodness you're both here already."_

_Satoru looked back and saw his wife Hana walking out of the houses French doors. In her arms, she was carrying a small bundle wrapped in baby blue cotton blankets. Hana wanted to go first so she would be able to help in the party's preparation and opted to let her father and son to just follow her after Satoru finishes his work._

"_Is that Ryoma?" he asked taking a peek onto the blanket covered baby._

_Hana nodded and slowly moved the flap that was covering the child's sleeping face. A smile of adoration immediately appeared on his lips upon seeing the little one's face._

"_He's wonderful," he murmured in awe as he lifted one hand and shakily touched the baby's soft rosy cheeks. _

_The others laughed at his antics. _

"_But he's not as adorable as Keigo when he was still a baby," he halted, boosting up his fatherly pride._

"_Che, you just couldn't accept the fact that I could have a child that could even surpass your precious Keigo." Snorted Nanjiroh arrogantly._

"_Ara stop it you two," Hana reprimanded and saw Keigo looking at her questioningly. His large eyes focused on the small bundle in her arms. Smiling, she crouched down to level with her sons' height. "You want to hold him?"_

_His lithe body went rigid as his eyes focused again on Ryoma. "Okaasan. . ."_

"_Come one Kei chan, you're going to like Ryo chan. He's so adorable." Seiichi babbled out and dragged his best friend towards Hana._

_Hana smiled towards Seiichi before she moved the blankets to reveal more of Ryoma's profile. Keigo took a smile peek as he slowly inched forward to get a better look. _

"_Ne Keigo he's cute isn't he?" Seiichi asked._

_Keigo could only nod in response as he took all his courage and touched the baby's cheek. He felt a small tingle ran down his palms at the contact and he couldn't even draw back his hand as if it was already glued on to the baby. Then, after a while he stirred from his sleep. His eyes cracked open, revealing a pair of large molten gold like orbs._

"_Kawaii," the hyperactive Seiichi squeeled in delight clapping his hands together._

_Meanwhile Keigo felt rooted on his spot as he absent mindedly took Ryoma away from his mother's arms and onto his own. Golden eyes blinked back at him innocently and his tiny red lips formed into a small smile which Keigo returned with his own. _

_Keigo instantly felt an undeniable connection towards the boy._

"_Ryo chan I'm Kei chan. . . . me and sei chan would be protecting you from now on," he promised towards the giggling baby. _

_Seiichi who was still hyperactive until now just continued making cooing noises._

"_Neh Rinko," Satoru said while his eyes never left the kids._

"_Nande?"_

"_They really look cute together."_

"_Yeah I think so too," Kyo finally agreed._

Satoru sighed as he placed back the small picture frame containing their family picture back onto his table. He clasped his hand together on top of his table. Time flies by really fast. All those things felt like it had just happened yesterday. Such fond memories that brings out warm feelings within his heart.

Tension started to build up once again when he noticed his laptop blinking vigorously. After taking a deep breath, he leaned forward and pushed it open. The screen flashed a few times before a name appeared on the screen. "Morisato Takasuki." He clicked on the name and his assistants face materialized in front of him.

"Morisato," he acknowledged the man formally and full of composure. But inside of him an inner turmoil of emotions was raging on. He fidgeted his already sweaty hands on top of his lap.

"President the investigators reports had already been delivered a while ago. Do you wish to hear it first or should I just fax it to you so you'd be the one assess the files?" the bespectacled man asked pushing his glasses back onto his eyes.

"Read it to me first and I would decide later if you should send it to me." He informed slouching onto his chair to find a much more comfortable position.

The boy nodded and flipped open the folder sitting on top of his desk. "According to these reports regarding the man named Akira Fujizaki, as of this moment he again invested and bought some stocks on the Atobe telecommunications branch. Major stock investors are pulling out their shares one by one and selling them to this man. His whereabouts still remain unknown, but they are sure that he is out of the country for they could not trace him anywhere here in Japan. Even his personal records aren't present. Based on their theory Akira Fujizaki isn't his real name, but just a name he uses to cover up his true identity. If this theory proves to be true then the possibility that the information the company obtained ever since he had started investing in the company are just lies fabricated to back up his disguise."

Satoru had unknowingly held back his breath in shock. If their theory proves to be as facts, then they could be doomed.

"Just send in the files to me," he said with finality and covered his face with his hands trying stifle back the forthcoming head ache.

God help him because he doesn't know what else to do anymore.

* * *

The whole room was in an uproar as the media men from all over the globe squished themselves inside the already crowded conference area of McGaizer camp. Earlier the American team's coaches had formally announced the press conference they would be holding out to discuss the matters involving the teams current standing for the upcoming UJF cup. Upon hearing the scoop, news representatives from different radio and television stations rushed up to the prestigious camp hoping to deliver the most sensational sports news as of today. 

Whispers grew louder when the large oak doors of the room finally opened up and in came Coach Martin and Coach James casually dressed and looking more serious than the usual. They walked directly behind the long white table situated in front of the media's prying eyes.

Camera's flush bulbs went on and on as the camera men took different shots of the two coaches. The videos started rolling as the news deliveries commenced. Numerous voices blended up together and ended up as one big ear shattering noise. The police escorts strategically lined themselves protectively in front of the large table where the two were currently sitting at.

"**Please people. . . calm down for a while. We would be answering all your questions so please stop pushing each other around,"** Coach Martin said when he saw the crowd starting to grow restless and pushed one another just to get in front.

"**Coach James, may I ask about the current status of the two of the best players of the American team?" **One man asked from behind the mob.

"**They are already fine now. Keigo Atobe is already recovering while Ryoma Echizen's condition is slowly starting to stabilize."**

"**Would Mr. Keigo still be able to participate in the matches?"**

"**Keigo already informed me a while ago that he'd be joining us. In fact he came to practice yesterday."**

"**Can you tell us in details how Mr. Keigo is doing right now?"**

"**As of the moment Keigo is still consulting his doctor and having therapy sessions after he had suffered that emotional breakdown."**

"**Is he really capable of playing for the team?"**

"**Keigo is one of the most talented and responsible players I know. And from what I can see, his determination to win this match grew ten fold. Thus I know that he's more than capable to play and represent team America."**

"**Do you guys still plan to push through with the competition now that you're one player short?"**

"**Yes."**

"**What do you feel about this incident? Do you consider this as a big threat for you to gain victorious in the upcoming UJF Cup?"**

"**No we merely consider these recent events, as a temporary set back. We have faith in our team, and we would be doing our best to win not only for us but also for Ryoma's sake." **Coach Martin said and smiled.

"**How about the culprit? Did you manage to find who had done this crime?"**

Coach James and Coach Martin exchanged knowing glances. **"We wouldn't like to comment on that matter. We are not viable to spill out such confidential details. We hope that you'd be able to respect our wishes to keep quiet on that issue."**

* * *

He flicked open his lighter and aimed it at the end of his cigarette. He clamped down the newly lighted cigar in between his fingers while he moved his legs on top of the small foot rest. 

He blew out some chains of smoke etching its way onto the darkened room. His eyes flickered with emotions as he stared at the space in front of him. His range of sight piercing right through the things that might be blocking his eyes. Emptiness showed through his eyes as the dark circles lining it from below became more prominent.

He didn't even move an inch when the door of the room creaked open flooding the room with an ample amount of light coming from the corridors.

"How is he?" he grumbled coldly flicking the ashes onto the glass tray beside him.

The dark cloaked figure paced around the room and finally plopped itself down the loveseat.

"His condition remains the same. He's still unstable but the doctors said that he's already showing signs of his slow recovery."

"I see," he nodded at the piece of newly acquired information. "How about the other problem? Should I continue or would you like me to stop and allow you to make the move this time around?" he questioned the looming shadow.

"Leave the rest to me. It's time I make my appearance." He chuckled throatily.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

**Japanese Team Camp**

The silence hung thick around the whole dining area. Sadness emanated from every player present inside the room. Eiji wasn't his usual bouncy and hyperactive self as he just sits on one corner and mopes around. Oishi the mother hen who loves to babble out his worried speeches didn't speak one bit. Kawamura wouldn't go in his burning mode even though he already takes hold of his racket. Inui stopped making his energy juices and no one had ever seen any sign of his ever trusty notebook.

Even the usual squabbles between Momoshiro and Kaidoh didn't happen for the whole day. Fuji had his eyes open the whole time, scaring off everyone that might come in close contact with him. Well except for Tezuka who had been with the Tensai the whole time. And it seems that the stoic Seigaku captain wasn't fairing on this matter well either. He tends to space out even when he's in the middle of a match. Among the teams that are participating in the selection camp, Seigaku seems to be the most low spirited for these past few days. And everyone understands what the team is growing through/

Hyotei and Rikkaidai had just been assured by their own captains a day ago that they were already fine and there's nothing to worry about. So that's a boulder that had been removed from those teams' shoulders. They can now have their focus back onto their games. But those one's that have fallen down the Seigaku players still remains and it feels like it's getting heavier and heavier by the minute.

_All motions stopped when the three coaches in charged for the selection camp appeared on the outdoor tennis courts. Several pairs of eyes focused on the trio walking through the large wired gates._

"_Everyone please gather around. We have something important to announce. Proceed to the Audio visual room asap." Ryuzaki sensei hollered out._

_The games where put into a sudden stop as the players eagerly vacated their places and made their way towards the mentioned room. Once everyone where already settled onto their seats, the lights went off and the large monitor screen hanging down the pristine white walls clicked open._

"_What you are about to watch is a video message sent by Atobe and Yukimura a while ago." Sakaki sensei informed effectively catching everyone's attention._

_He pushed the play button and the screen showed the familiar figures of Atobe and Yukimura sitting side by side. The whole Hyotei team noted how haggard their flashy captain looked like. If he was somewhere near them he would surely be teased non stop and it would probably irritate the diva to no end. _

_Yukimura on the other hand was smiling broadly. His eyes were tightly closed so they couldn't decipher the emotions that might be showing on them._

"_Ore sama and Seiichi sent you this message to inform you that thing's on our side are already lightening up. After the small disruption that Ore sama had felt a few days ago, Ore sama is glad to inform you my royal subjects that I am as good as new so you all better pull yourselves together and act accordingly. Stop acting like idiots and stop humiliating ore sama with your crappy playing styles. Ore sama would not tolerate such careless attitudes in my team. If ore sama hears more about your below the standards game then rest assured that I would easily kick your butts out of the team," the diva groused dryly flicking his hair into place._

_Shishido snorted while Chotarou elbowed him in silent warning. "He's such an egoistic bastard," the boy commented not minding what his doubles partner had just done._

"_Pardon Kei chan for being so tactless guys. He's still a little shaken up so his sanity and rationale isn't back to 100 percent yet," Yukimura tried to joke out._

_The Hyotei captain glared at him. "Aa, Kei chan stop giving me those looks," Yukimura said while wagging his fingers at the latter. "Anyway just like what Kei chan had told you people a while ago, everything's fine now. Hyotei's precious captain, Kei chan had already recovered but he's still undergoing several tests and taking the prescribed medications. As for the American teams status, well, the rigorous training menus are still up and about and would only end a few days before the actual game."_

"_So make sure you guys earn your spots or I'll definitely kick you out of the team," Atobe interrupted in boredom._

"_And to Seigaku, don't worry. Ryo chan's fighting so you should also put your best foot forward and make Ryoma proud." Yukimura murmured._

"_Oi Tezuka make sure you'd still be in one piece when the UJF cup starts. Ore sama doesn't want to fight a weak opponent. It would just be a big waste of time and effort for ore sama."_

"_Take care everyone."_

_And with that the screen went off._

"Tezuka. . ." the said captain looked up and saw Sanada standing in front of him.

"Sanada?"

"We're going to have the next match," he stated bluntly pointing towards the tennis courts which is already being vacated by the previous players.

"Aa," he stood up from the grass and dusted his pants. He grabbed his racket lying on the ground and gripped it tightly while he silently walked towards the courts. He was just about to push open the gates when he felt a hand being placed on top of his shoulder.

He swiveled his eyes and saw the Rikkaidai vice-captain looking at him understandingly. "I know how you feel Tezuka. But I suggest that you focus now. If you'd continue being like this then your team would crumble along with you. I know Echizen wouldn't like that to happen." The capped dude tapped his shoulders and walked past him. "You are the pillar of Seigaku so act like one. Your successor is already breaking down. You wouldn't want Seigaku to totally collapse."

Tezuka's eyes trailed along the vice captain, light finally shining through his eyes.

"Tezuka are you alright?" Fuji who had just exited the courts after finishing his game asked him worriedly.

"Aa." He said monotonously. "Yudan sezu ni ikkou." With that the re-awakened captain followed his opponent leaving a rather confused tensai behind him.

* * *

The whole room was devoid of any sounds other than those which where being supplied occasionally by the apparatus connected with the prone figure lying beneath the white blankets. The heart monitor remained to show the signs of his steadily beating heart. 

The hand lying outside the blankets moved. One finger twitched a little, almost unnoticeably. Then another twitch followed. His whole hand moved next.

Silence ensued before the body started to shift slightly.

A moan erupted from the immoveable frame. His eyes scrunched up before it slowly opened up revealing a pair of hazy golden orbs.

"Che."

* * *

**A/N: **Gyah I'm being trampled by too much school work, so it's really hard for me to do the updates faster. I'm really sorry guys for being a big disappointment But hey I'm trying my best. So please continue hanging on. The heart pounding conclusion is drawing near. 

My heartfelt thanks to those who had been giving me such wonderful reviews, even to those people who had added me in their favorites and alerts list.

ARIGATO GOZAIMASU Minna

Please read and review. No flames please.


	10. Happiness, Contentment and a Threat

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, Kissing scene (mild), Angst (slight), roller coaster of emotions**

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**To expect: **Ryoma and Yukimura scenes . , Mysterious 'master' man makes his move

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **FlyingShadow666, apocadelic, SAPPHASH, RuByMoOn17, ChibisukeGirl, dichan, eiarim.miraie, cherushiichan, Empress Satori, c00kiesNm1lk, DemonGirl13, Insouciance, Sprig

And most especially to **1xmocha**, my favorite OT5 writer. **Belated happy birthday **

**A/N** I apologize for the late updates. My school just started about two weeks ago and yet my sensei's are already giving the students such a hard time by giving off too much school works.

The closing chapter would be coming earlier than I had expected. This story may have not been the best of the best but I sincerely think that I still have time to improve. Besides I still have many stories in mind.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Read, enjoy and review. . . . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Ten**

_**Happiness, Contentment and a Threat**_

* * *

_Yukimura and Atobe silently walked through the long corridors of the hospital._

_Only the sounds of their shoes tapping along the tiled floor could be heard as it echoed around the concrete walls._

_Upon reaching the end of the long pathway, chaos had greeted the duo. The door of Ryoma's hospital suite was thrown open and shouts could be heard from inside. The two exchanged worried glances before they literally ran inside the room._

"_RYOMA!!!" they yelled in unison._

_The crowd looked at the two of them in surprise, all motions staying still. _

"_Wha—What happened to him?" Seiichi asked shakily trying to regain his breath. His heart pounded against his chest, worried sick about his friend's welfare when he heard Rinko's sobs._

"_He's fine Seiichi," Nanjiroh appeased the boy giving him a small pat in the shoulders._

_He blinked back at the older tennis player. "But—" His eyes drifted off towards the commotion uncertainty mirrored back by his wide soulful orbs._

"_Oi Seiichi I'm not dead," grumbled the sarcastic voice he all knew and missed. The cockiness of his tone almost made Yukimura jump out in joy._

"_Ryoma—"_

_Rinko who already had a faint hint of smile on her face while wiping her tears of joy away from her eyes stood up from her spot beside the bed. And true to his beliefs, there lies the familiar looking form of the precious Seigaku freshman, with the ever cocky smirk plastered upon his face. His eyes which were closed for almost two weeks were now wide open. The brilliant golden orbs that can capture even a stone statues heart were now swirling with warmth and life. _

"_Seiichi you still there," Ryoma frowned at him, brows furrowing together._

"_Hai, I'm just overwhelmed with so many emotions right now." He smiled before engulfing the distance between the two of them to hug the young prodigy's prone body._

"_Ittai," the young prodigy coughed out as his breath got knocked out of his lungs when the Rikkaidai captain had hugged him with so much enthusiasm that it literally left him breathless._

"_I'm glad you're back Ryo chan." He said affectionately pinching the boys cheeks. _

_As the two embraced, the Hyotei captain silently stood by the doorframe, clearly having a problem of the green eyed monster. Feeling more than left out in the picture. Without giving things any thought anymore, Keigo turned back and walked away. Pain burning and gripping his fragile heart._

* * *

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The sounds coming from the nearby outdoor tennis courts emanated around the lot.

Golden eyes remained unblinking as it stared skyward, watching as the puffy white clouds moved along the ocean blue sky. The blazing sun glittered up high it's rays seething down the human populace. The moist morning wind blew across the small meadow rustling the luscious green leaves of the nearby trees. Flocks of birds flapped their wings majestically jostling away from the world below.

His eyes twitched involuntarily. Footsteps echoed from behind him as the neatly mowed grass got scrunched up when it was stepped on. The smell of cherries wafted through his sensitive nose sending an involuntary shiver to run down his spine.

"Ryoma—"

The lithe body of the young prodigy didn't make any attempt to respond to the voice. He didn't budge from his position for even a small inch. His lean, seemingly fragile arms were bent down behind his head as he laid down the grass using it as his pillow. He had his other leg bent upright while the other rested and dangled over his bent knee. His pinkish lips remained grim as he tightly pursed it closed.

"Ryo chan what are you doing outside your room?" the soft melodious voice asked as the footsteps halted to a stop.

"Hnnn," came his bored reply closing his eyes in the process.

The body standing beside him shifted and he felt the latter crouching down to occupy the space beside him. He didn't mind his actions at all as he savored the silence within himself and let the darkness surround him completely. He was already close to drifting off when he felt a pair of eyes literally boring down through his skull. He chose to ignore the boldness of the act. But the stare made him itch in annoyance.

He cracked one eye open clashing with the soulful eyes of the one who was looking at him. He seemingly froze on his spot as he fell into a daze after he felt sucked up by those orbs. He shook his head in frustration silently chuckling towards him self.

"Ryoma. . . " the boy whined persistently not relenting away until he gets his desired response.

"My back's already sore from being bed ridden for more than a week so I went out for a walk." He threw him an apathetic look before shifting his eyes back to the sunny sky above them. "I need a breather."

"But you should rest or else you might get sick again," he said worriedly.

"Seiichi will you stop over reacting. . . it's not like I'm going to die already" he snorted at the latter's expense.

Little did he know that the mere mention of the word die brought such great amount of pain and dread toward Yukimura.

"Besides you were there with me when the doctor said that I am fine." Ryoma continued clearly oblivious of the uneasiness his companion was suffering at the moment.

"But still—"

The Rikkaidai captain was again cut off when the young prodigy shot him a look. He was wise enough not to argue with him any longer. Knowing the younger one's temper, he would surely be having the cold shoulder if he continued prying on the subject. He sighed dejectedly, hugging his knees closer to his chest.

"Where's Keigo? I thought he was with you." He mumbled out.

Ryoma just shrugged carelessly. "He was with me a while ago. But he went back to the courts to join in the practice matches."

Silence ensued once again.

Yukimura's eyes didn't stay still as he continuously drifted his gaze back to the seigaku freshman every once in a while. His line of sight trailing around his boyish and petite form adoringly.

"_See you later," Kyo hollered out from the family car as Seiichi giddily hopped out of the vehicle grabbing his oversized backpack from the passengers' seat. He slung the anime inspired bag over his shoulder's frantically waving his hands over to his parents who had remained seated and strapped onto their seats. _

"_Bye mom. Bye dad." He babbled back grinning from ear to ear. He stepped beside the door, where his mother was sitting at and clung onto the open window._

"_Be good okay," his mom reminded him as she patted her overly energetic sons head._

_Seiichi's widened eyes glittered with childlike happiness as he nodded several times that made Hana a little alarmed thinking that her precious sons head might break off if he continues._

"_Oi Nanjiroh take care of Seiichi or else," his dad joked out to the Echizen patriarch who was currently standing by the front porch of their house while lazily scratching his stomach. Rinko who had appeared from inside the house, carrying a spatula in hand swatted her tactless husband. The tennis player whined, before he started muttering under his breath. _

"_Don't worry he'd be in good hands," Rinko assured the husband and wife._

"_Seiichi remember what I told you okay?" Hana admonished her son once more before Kyo started off the car's engine._

_The young boy nodded in understanding before stepping back onto the sidewalk._

"_Ja Ne." His parents yelled out simultaneously before they drove off. Seiichi's eyes trailed along the car until it finally went off his range of sight just leaving a trail of dust. _

"_Come now Sei chan. You must have missed Ryo chan a whole lot considering that you hadn't seen him for a week." Rinko mumbled out stirring the boy inside the house._

_The Yukimura's had been away from home for a week since they had accompanied Satoru on his conference meeting. They had just arrived earlier and was about to go directly toward their house when Seiichi had suggested to his parents that he'd like to stay at Ryoma's house for a while since he had been missing his 'baby chan' so much. His parents, as little Seiichi could remember quite clearly, exchanged knowing looks that could clearly be translated to 'I told you so'._

"_Wahh how's baby chan doing Mama Rinko?" the kid looked at the woman who had been treating him like he was her own child. He insistently tugged her hands with Nanjiroh silently following them from behind, tucking his freshly delivered newspaper underneath his armpits._

"_Ryoma's fine Seiichi. But he's a little moody ever since you left." Rinko responded petting the adorable kids silky hair._

_Seiichi's lips was etched with a megawatt smile as he turned towards the smiling woman. "Really??" he asked once again, making sure that his ears weren't deceiving him._

_Rinko nodded affectionately. "Yes. Ryoma misses you too."_

_The younger one's eyes glittered underneath his long curly lashes. The trio wounded up the stairs leading toward the bedrooms of the humble adobe. "But he has Kei chan."_

"_Yes Keigo kept him company while you were away. But you know how attached Ryoma is to you since you're the one who's spoiling him rotten."_

_Seiichi grinned back at her. What she stated was the truth for it was really him who had been spoiling the young prodigy while it was Keigo who's a little off when it comes to pampering the younger one. But Keigo still makes sure that he gives the proper amount of attention to the both of them. The boy wasn't that open when it comes to showing affection most especially in public. He cares so much about his image and reputation that he tends to act and look aloof especially when other people are around. It seems like the young boy had built a concrete wall around himself to repel away unwanted attention only letting Ryoma and Seiichi to actually be able to communicate with him. Though it wasn't that noticeable especially to the watchful looks of the crowd, Yukimura knew that Atobe held high affections towards the young tennis prodigy. _

"_Where's Ryoma, Papa Jiroh?" he asked the snickering man who is standing by the railings of the staircase. The said man merely raised his brows before pointing towards the room located at the far end of the hallway._

"_Arigato gozaimasu," he thanked bowing after him in respect before sauntering off towards the direction pointed at him. He slowed his steps and reduced it to tiptoes until he finally reached the wooden door. His eyes remained glued on the door eyes straining over the carved wooden name plate hanging down the nail which was hammered down it. In big colorful letters, the name Ryoma came into being. _

_Seiichi gulped as his heart thumped faster against his chest. Anticipation overwhelmed him as he slowly drew out his hands and reached towards the shiny golden door knob. Clearing his throat once more he turned the knob open._

"_Ryo chan. ." he whispered as he poked his head inside the small opening. But he found nothing for it was extremely dark inside. Shrugging he pushed the door wider entering the room in one full stride. Just as when he had turned on the light switch, another mass collided with his body immediately catching him by surprise._

_He gave out a muffled scream when that mass latched itself onto Seiichi's torso. Hugging him like a leech. Familiarity assaulted the older boy as he turned to look downwards and saw little Ryoma attached onto him with so much fervor that made Seiichi gasp for breath when he felt like he was being deprived of the oxygen he needs. _

"_Sei chan you're back I thought you're going to leave me for good," Ryo man cried out, golden eyes getting teary as it focused onto him. Seiichi felt overjoyed by the latter's show of affection towards him. His eyes closed as he gave out his infamous red herring smile that made even the teenage ladies swoon. Though the young one is still a kid his smile never fails to make a woman's heart drop down in jittery excitement. The boy is already a heart throb to say the least. _

_But compared to little Ryoma's fan club, he still considers himself as mada mada dane. For the young prodigy catches everyone's attention as soon as his presence is made known. That's how much impact he causes onto the crowd._

"_Of course I wouldn't leave you. That's what I told you right," he appeased while running his hands through the crying boys silky hair._

_Ryma sniffled burying his head deeper onto the other's shirt. "Kei chan's being a big meanie again. He's starting to say the broken ore sama record again." He sobbed._

"_Keh. . . Ryo chan stop being such a brat will you," a voice said from behind them._

_Yukimura blinked and looked back just in time to see the one and only Atobe Keigo standing by the door, arms arrogantly crossed upon his chest. A smirk ever present on his face._

_Ryoma glared at the diva and stuck out his tongue at him. "Monkey King."_

"_Brat Prince," he retorted back sticking out his tongue just like Ryoma._

_A sudden surge of jealousy had caught Yukimura of guard. Their sarcastic banters almost made him cry out, Why?. Why are they acting so close? Though they were arguing with one another, he could see the affection held in those remarks. And that made him extremely agitated to say the least. The fondness he could see being mirrored through the dark gray haired boys' eyes had been proving it to him. _

"_Oi Brat stop clinging onto Sei chan too much."_

"_Che, you're just jealous." Ryoma retorted._

"_How dare you accuse ore sama," Keigo said while blushing._

_Seiichi cleared his throat wrapping his thin arms around the younger boy. "Aa, Kei chan stop teasing Ryo chan anymore will you?" He said not being able to hold back into stepping in the conversation. His eyes snapped open, and focused onto the said boy._

_He could clearly see how the diva flinch at the intensity of his voice as he wisely shut his mouth. _

_Ryoma laughed boisterously. "Scaredy cat."_

_He looked up at the boy who was holding him and smiled brightly. "Sei chan is my prince. You had saved me from the evil monster."_

_Seiichi smirked shooting the frozen and seething Keigo a brief look before he ruffled Ryoma's hair. "Ei, I'd do anything for my pretty princess."_

"Why aren't you in the tennis courts Seiichi?" the young prodigy asked out of the blue, making Yukimura to instantly break out from his stupor.

"I got worried when I saw your room was empty. I excused myself from practice and went to look for you."

Ryoma glanced back at him boredly. "You excused yourself?"

Seiichi grinned. "Aa, okay so I skipped practice. Big deal."

"You're so lazy Seiichi," the Seigaku freshman shook his head in frustration. "I wonder how you became Rikkaidai's captain if you are acting like that."

"Don't fret Ryo chan. I'd be going to practice once you've completely recovered."

The boy's lips twitched. "Baka, just go to practice before the coach's blow a fuse."

"They'd understand that you'd beneeding someone to accompany you while you're recovering." He chided happily.

"I'm not a kid."

"But you're my hime chan. And my princess needs to have her knight in shining armor beside her all the time."

A deep crimson stain crept up the prodigy's cheeks earning a chuckle from the Rikkaidai captain. "Baka," he choked out poorly trying not to blush anymore. "Isn't Sanada your HIME chan?" he gritted his teeth.

This time it was him who was taken aback. 'How could Ryoma think that way?' he thought blushing profusely.

"See it's true. That dude really is your hime chan," he murmured.

"Aa, is my little Ryo chan jealous of Sanada?" he said wiggling his brows suggestively.

Ryoma blushed uncharacteristically. "Ba-Baka," he stammered.

Yukimura laughed taking the writhing prodigy into his arms. "Oi stop taking advantage," Ryoma protested weakly trying to push the still laughing captain away from him.

"Come now Ryo chan stop saying otherwise, when you like being in my arms," he teased.

"Insane."

"But don't worry Ryo chan. You are and you'll always be my princess slash brat prince no matter what happens," he said seriously.

Ryoma shivered in surprise and his eyes immediately flew past the older boy. His eyes widened when he saw that their faces where only inches apart from each other. He felt like his throat went dry as his eyes focused onto the latter's red rosy lips that seemed to be getting closer to him by the minute.

'Stupid, he is getting closer' he yelled to himself in astonishment.

'But he left you Ryoma. How could you let him get this close to you that fast?' he berated himself as he allowed the older one to make his move, crossing the gap in between them slowly.

'Because. . . .'

Ryoma froze on his spot when he felt a warm moist flesh colliding with his lips. The contact sent electrocuting shivers to run down his flesh as he stayed in his place unmoving. His eyes slowly drifted close as the older boy started to move and further his seductive ministrations.

Unknown to the 'couple' who was currently engaged in a heated show of affection, two pairs of eyes were standing just a few meters away from them, looking on with jealous intent while the other pair clearly hidden within the leafy bushes, chuckled evilly. A malicious glint showing in his dark smoky eyes.

'Enjoy it while it lasts,' he thought before he continued watching the scene unfolding in front of him.

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

**Japanese team camp**

"Neh Ryuzaki sensei do you have any news about ochibi chan," Eiji asked the Seigaku coach excitedly.

"Eiji," Oishi reprimanded his double's partner who was currently suffering in a very hyper active mode.

The coach smiled at each one of the Seigaku team members, while nodding her head positively.

"Is he alright Ryuzaki sensei?" Fuji inquired, eyes wide open.

The coach mentally cringed upon seeing the emotions swirling beneath the ocean blue orbs of the tensai. "Hai, Ryoma's fine. According to Yukimura, he's already on his way to a full recovery." She announced. "Even Nanjiroh who had just arrived a day ago from New York assured me that he's fine."

"So does this mean that Echizen would be playing too?" Kawamura said hopefully.

Ryuzaki sensei nodded. "He's already doing light practices with the guidance of Yukimura and Atobe."

"I wonder what kind of practices those two are doing with Echizen?" Fuji murmured wistfully not knowing the full implications of his choice of words.

The other players with the inclusion of their respected coach blushed.

"Ano Fuji you shouldn't talk that way," Kawamura squeaked out.

"Fsssshhhh. . . Fuji sempai. . . Fssshhhhh."

"That Echizen sure is sneaky," Momoshiro laughed nervously.

"Iie data." The data masters glasses glinted against the cafeteria lights.

"Nya Oishi those two captain's are taking advantage of our Ochibi."

The mother hen agreed with his partner, while scratching his head in obvious worry. "We must save him."

"Fuji watch your language," the stoic captain, who had managed to restrain himself from blushing, admonished his boyfriend.

"Aa." The tensai shrugged before skipping away to go to the food counter.

"Ryuzaki sensei, we must stop them from corrupting our precious ochibis innocence."

The coach couldn't help but shake her head seeing the intense reaction everyone was giving regarding what the tensai had just said. 'What more if you know the real deal between those three.' It's better if they are kept in the dark. Who knows how much they'll react once they realize their ochibi isn't so innocent as they thought he is,' the old woman thought while slipping out from the commotion.

"Oi Kikumaru stop whining will you!," Gakuto yelled from the table being occupied by Hyotei. "You're so irritating."

Ticked off by the annoying players intrusion, the agitated acrobat marched up towards the other acrobatics player slamming his hands down the wooden table. "Tell your captain to stay away from our Ochibi, kangaroo."

Gakuto immediately stood up from his seat not liking how the boy was treating him even for one bit. "Oi what are you talking about?" He demanded.

"Atobe's corrupting our ochibi's innocence." He huffed airily.

Shishido who was quietly sipping his green tea choked on his drink.

Chotarou looked at his partner in worry, while patting the players back. "Shishido san daijobu?"

"I—I'm fine," he coughed out.

"Hmmm. . . so Atobe is corrupting your freshman's innocence you say," Oshitari murmured.

"Sou da ne. . . ." Eiji nodded furiously.

"What's going on here?" the serious voice sounded from behind the rambling group.

All eyes swiveled back and saw team Rikkai dai walking in the cafeteria elegantly.

"Aa, Sanada. . . it's nice to finally have you guys in here," Fuji commented appearing back from the counter, with a tray full of food held in his hands.

"What's the problem Fuji?" the vice captain asked the tensai.

"It seems that a very interesting turn of event is happening within the American teams' camp." The tensai muttered mysteriously.

The information irked the stoic bull cap dudes attention. "Aa, Could you kindly elaborate on that one? You're talking in riddles Fuji."

"Yukimura san is corrupting our ochibi's innocence," Eiji yelled out flailing his arms in the air.

"Pardon."

"Our Ochibi is being taken advantage off."

"Tezuka your team member is stepping on dangerous territory," Sanada looked at the Seigaku captain briefly.

"Eiji stop it already," Tezuka sighed in frustration.

"Mou Tezuka I was only stating the truth." He pouted back.

The boys' eyes sharpened dangerously. "Why are you accusing Yukimura like that?" he retorted back, hands clenching tightly.

"Because he is. . . ." Before the acrobat could make further comments, Oishi wisely stepped in and clamped his hands over the players mouth immediately silencing the noisy boy.

"Tezuka?" Sanada looked at the silent Seigaku captain.

The bespectacled boy just shrugged and gave a firm shake of the head. "Aa. It's nothing. Don't mind what Kikumaru is saying." He answered off handedly. "Fuji we'll talk," he looked at the tensai before disappearing out of the room with the grinning Fuji following behind him.

"I was just kidding guys. Chill," the sadistic tensai chuckled out as he passed by the arguing players.

Though the words already came from the tensai himself, the feeling left by his words still weren't eased out of their minds. For somewhere within them, they knew that somehow there's a big possibility that Fuji's joke can be true.

* * *

Tennis practice for that day had just finished. And there would only be one more week before the UJF cup kicks off to a start. The tennis players, exhausted by the intense training regime the coaches had just given them, dragged themselves out of the courts. Shoulders sagging pathetically while their soiled shirts were stained with perspiration and dirt, they dispersed back to their rooms to take their well needed rest.

Kevin crouched down to pick up his tennis bag lying down the grassy lawn. After strapping it onto his shoulders securely he slung his towel over his neck and walked towards the gates.

"Oi Ryoma" Kevin called out to his friend cheerfully when he had spotted the young prodigy standing by the metal gates of the tennis courts. Skipping towards the Seigaku freshman, he halted to a stop and grinned at him enthusiastically. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be taking a rest?"

Boy wonder shrugged before leaning onto the frame of the gate. "Why is everyone asking me why I'm out? Can't I stay out of bed for once," he said exasperatedly earning a chuckle from the blonde.

"We're just worried about your condition Ryoma." He said understanding the boys predicaments.

"I want to play tennis. But the coaches are too stubborn to let me participate." He pouted dryly.

Kevin chuckled before throwing his arms over the prodigy's shoulders. "Don't mind them. You'd be able to join us sooner or later. Besides isn't it that you made an agreement with the coaches that they'd let you play after a week and you had fully recovered."

"Che."

"And there's only two more days left." Kevin took out several coins from his shorts pocket before inserting them onto the vending machine. He picked out two cans of Ponta and handed one to the Seigaku freshman.

"Thanks," he said gratefully before pulling the tab open.

The two continued walking down towards the gardens before they decided to sit down for a while on one of the wooden benches they happen to pass by.

Silence.

"How are you feeling?"

"Im fine." He replied monotonously not elaborating on the matter any further.

"You know I wasn't asking you about that Ryoma" Kevin sighed slouching back on the seat.

The prodigy's eyes got clouded with emotions as he toyed with his half empty can. "Kev—"

"It's easier if you'd talk to someone." He suggested.

"You think that I don't know that yet," he snorted arrogantly.

Kevin shook his head at his friends stubbornness. "You're such a head ache. I wonder how Seigaku are able to handle your bratty nature."

Ryoma smirked.

"But seriously, how are you feeling right now?"

The boy sighed as his smile turned a little restrained before it slowly disappeared from his sight completely. "I can't blame Ryoga for doing that. He's been loathing my very presence ever since we were still a child."

"But still that loath wouldn't justify his actions no matter how you look at it." Kevin reasoned out.

"I know I had hurt him, even though it was unintentional. But still I had hurt him."

"You're talking vague."

"He was accusing me for stealing dads affections. For stealing his chances of having a whole family. For that simple reasons alone, no matter how narrow minded and shallow it might seem, I know that the wound in him is so deep that it broke him. And there's nothing I could do to change that. Because I stole everything away from him."

The blonde blinked at him, feeling a little taken aback by such deep words the young prodigy had just uttered.

"You know Ryoma it wasn't your fault that you were born. And besides it's still up to Uncle Najiroh if he would chose Ryoga's mom or Aunt Rinko. And for his case he did choose your mom and not otherwise. So its either he accept that fact or just wallow himself in self pity. And that option surely wouldn't take him anywhere."

Though Ryoma somehow felt anger towards his older brother, sympathy still remains. And that stopped him from completely loathing the older boy. For the young prodigy, no matter how many bad things the latter did to him, he just considered it as a payment for his debt to his brother. But he knows that no matter what he does, that debt wouldn't be payable no matter how much he tries to.

Ever since he was a kid he had looked up to his brother. He had been admiring him and that hadn't reached the latters attention for he was more concerned about his 'unfortunate' life. All he did was to lash out his frustrations on little Ryoma. But those things didn't stop him from believing that someday he would be able to love the little one like a brother. And until now he's still hoping.

"I still believe in him Kev."

Kevin smiled at him but there's a hint of sadness in it. "He's lucky to have you as a brother."

"No he's not."

"Yes he is. But he's just too blind for him to really care for you."

Ryoma felt overwhelmed as he shot his blonde friend a grateful look.

"It's his loss anyway. So don't worry yourself too much okay?"

"Hai."

Kevin smiled at him before standing up from the bench to throw his empty can onto the trash bin. After he had discarded his trash, he hoisted back his bag onto his shoulders while he had inserted both his hands onto the pockets of his shorts. "Oi Ryoma what are you still sitting there for. Aren't you going back to share my room?" He questioned the young prodigy who remained immovable in his spot.

"I forgot to tell you. I already talked with Yukimura a while ago."

"Oh you talked with the sadist," Kevin sniggered, his attention being heightened up by the piece of information. "What did you two talk about?"

"Well he told me that I should go back to the cottage with him and Atobe," the prodigy tried to act as uncaring as possible but the blush that crept up his cheeks still cannot be contained.

Kevin the ever observant one immediately caught sight of the crimson color staining his friends cheeks. His smirk grew even wider as he threw a teasing look towards the boys direction. "Hmm it seems that something MUCH more interesting had happened. Huh?" He wiggled his brows.

"Oi Kevin stop being so nosy will you. Those things are confidential." He huffed trying to look as intimidating as possible. But sadly the hyperactive tennis player is already immune with the boys trademark glares.

"Mou you're so unfair Ryoma. It's the least you could do in return after I had willingly taken you in when you were distressed," he whined latching himself onto the boys' shoulders.

"No is no Kevin. Stop forcing me," he gritted his teeth, trying to pry away the extreme bundle of energy off of him.

"Ryoma and Seiichi kissing in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G," The blonde taunted innocently while hopping around the pissed off freshman. The reaction he got was more than enough confirmation to the boys' suspicions regarding the things that might have happened between the two. 'One point Kevin, Zero point for Ryoma' he cheered to himself mentally.

"Baka Yarou," he snarled, throwing his arms to grab the still laughing tennis player.

"Don't worry Ryoma I don't KISS and tell," he laughed even harder while still on the run. Moving as far away as possible from the murderous boy tailing behind him.

Ryoma just grumbled under his breath too intent on catching the blonde. "I swear Kevin. I'd rip you into pieces when I get my hands on you."

"Just try if you can. RYO CHAN."

"Teme—"

* * *

Yukimura slid out his keys from his pockets and inserted it to the keyhole of the cottage's door. Even before he could successfully put it in the said hole, the door was already pulled open, revealing an extremely haggard looking Hyotei captain.

"Atobe. . ." he gasped in surprise as he stepped inside the cottage eyes straining over the other captain's form who was already slouching on one of the couch's in the living room. Worried about the other boys distressed look, Yukimura sat down on the other chair still fixating his full attention on the latter. "Are you alright?"

No answer. Now Yukimura was really worried. He extended his hands and was about to touch the boys arms to offer comfort when he flinched away. Hurt by the impulsive reaction, Yukimura drew back his hands and folded it against his lap.

"What are you trying to play at Yukimura?" The hyotei captain suddenly voiced out in a cold chilling voice that could be more than enough to even freeze waters.

Shaken by the animosity being emanated by the other, Yukimura could do nothing but to blink back, hands clenching together involuntarily. "Atobe what are you talking about?"

"I saw you and Ryoma earlier." He stated apathetically, eyes as hard as steel.

The sadist almost felt like his insides froze when he was placed at the receiving end of those looks.

"Are you stealing him away from me? Are you?" He pried on.

"NO, I'm not stealing him away." He defended himself confused on why the diva was acting this way.

"But you kissed him you bastard." The hyotei captain grew hysterical.

"So what if I kissed him," he yelled back.

To his surprise Atobe started to yell obscenities at him while throwing aimless punches towards the Rikkaidai captain. Not wanting to hurt the raving boy, all that Yukimura did was to dodge.

"Atobe stop."

A swing narrowly missed his nose.

"Atobe, snap out of it already."

Another punch was released.

"I said STOP IT!!!," the sadistic boys eyes snapped open as he grabbed his friend's arms and started to restrain his moves. Atobe started to fight him off. Snarling and clawing at his body.

This time Yukimura didn't hold back as his palms collided with the diva's cheeks. The collision echoed around the secluded and darkened cottage.

SLAP!!!

The movements ceased almost instantly as the Hyotei captain's hands flew over to hold his abused cheek. His eyes were widening in disbelief.

"Are you calm now?" Yukimura gritted out eyes clashing against the divas orbs.

Atobe nodded back dumbly eyes still wide open and uncertain.

"Good. So I think we could talk rationally now," Yukimura led the perturbed boy to sit back with him on the couch. "What the heck were you thinking Atobe?"

The dark gray haired boy visibly flinched, casting his eyes down wards. "Gomen."

"Tell me why you had acted that way Atobe. I need to know."

He looked away, not wanting to gain any eye contact with the rikkaidai captain. "I felt afraid that you might take him away from me. That he would be choosing you when that time comes."

"So this is what it's all about. Your inferiority complex is kicking in again isn't it?"

He just kept his mouth shut, not wanting to comment on the matter anymore. He knew that he was on the wrong side this time. He was the one who had let emotions get the best of him. He didn't think. He was just doing things on pure impulse.

"We've been through this Atobe. Stop being so pessimistic for once in your life. Where's the egoistic bastard who was doing nothing but to brag about his prowess. Atobe you need to be strong."

Atobe sighed, light finally dawning upon his clouded mind. "I know"

"You have us Atobe. Ryoma and I would both be here for you. He may not show it physically but you know in your heart how important you are to him. He may not remember what we had shared but it's up to us to rebuild the past we had lost."

"Arigato Sei chan. Thanks for understanding me."

"Aa. . . . next time talk to me calmly. You can be such a handful at times mister," he pointed out accompanied by a small shake of the head.

Atobe just smirked and was about to open up his mouth to say something when a knock sounded inside the room. Shrugging, the Hyotei captain stood up to open the door. "Who is the unworthy soul who dares to disturb ore sama?" he asked. His usually airy and flashy self back in action.

His lips immediately creased into a full blown frown when he recognized the person standing by the doorway. He was just about to close the door right in front of the annoying American boys face when Yukimura suddenly appeared from behind him.

"Who is it Atobe?" he hollered out, foosteps getting nearer

"It's the abomination," he snorted and let Yukimura open the door wider.

"Oh this is a surprise Kevin kun," the sadist greeted out innocently, a dangerous aura reeking out from him.

The American shivered under the scrutinizing looks being brought down on him.

"Are you here for Ryoma? Well sorry to tell you he's not here," Atobe groused out dryly glaring daggers at the fidgeting boy.

"Errr actually that's the reason why I'm here." He affirmed.

"Well you heard me, he's not here so scram," he said in a voice like he was just shunning a mere bug that was clinging down his sleeves.

"NO what I mean is, he's with me," he said biting his lips nervously when he stepped aside revealing the unconscious Ryoma who was draped on one of the wooden benches near the cottage.

Atobe and Yukimura felt adrenaline rushing down their feet, as they immediately dashed out almost shoving away Kevin in the process.

"Ryoma are you alright?" The Rikkaidai captain gushed out as he began too check over the boys lithe form.

"Ngh," the young prodigy just groaned before burying himself over the worried captains arms.

With eyes narrowing dangerously into cat like slits Atobe looked at the blonde. "Oi American boy what the hell did you do to Ryoma?"

"I swear I didn't do anything to him. I swear to you. We were just running around earlier when he suddenly collapsed."

"Have you brought him to the clinic already?" Yukimura asked as he lifted the boy down onto his lap, brushing the strands of hair that fell down and covered the boys eyes.

"Hai. . . I brought him there for a check up as soon as he fell unconscious."

"What did the doctors say?"

"He was just overworked and needs to rest for a day or two so he could continue with his usual activities. He also gave me some medications for him to take once a day." He said handing the small bottle of capsules to the Hyotei captain. "I need to go now. I'm going to leave him in your care." He spun around and started to walk away.

"Kevin kun," Yukimura called back at him immediately stopping him from his tracks. He glanced over his shoulders and met the grateful smile plastered upon the sadistic boys face. "Arigato gozaimasu."

Nodding in acknowledgement he continued walking and disappeared from their sight. Yukimura stood up with the aid of Atobe in taking the young prodigy back inside the cottage. They carefully wounded their way towards the bedroom and placed him down in the middle of the spacious bed. The boy shifted slightly as soon as his back had hit the satin bedspread.

Yukimura walked inside the room being illuminated by the antique lampshades and leaned down the bed to pull over the blankets and tucked it underneath the boys chin. It had already been almost three hours since the boy was taken inside the room, and he still wasn't stirring awake from his deep sleep.

"He haven't woken up yet?" he asked while stretching up to see the hyotei captain sitting by the rocking chair near the French doors.

"No he's not. He might wake up tomorrow, its best to let him rest for now." He said while flipping back the pages of the book he was reading.

Yukimura nodded in agreement before throwing one last look at the sleeping boy. He then made his way out towards the balcony adjacent to the bedroom. He stared into the darkness before him. The full moon reflected itself down the still waters of the lake. Crickets sounded from a distance, as the wind calmly blew across him. Fireflies danced around the leaves of the smaller plants planted around the lake. Even the stars which weren't clouded just like these past few days where shining brightly up in the dark night sky.

He was already too immersed in his own little world when a small vibration coming from his pocket had caught his attention. Looking away from the breath taking scene he slipped his hands inside his shorts and fished out his cellular phone.

He took note of the name being flashed on the screen but found nothing else but an unfamiliar number. Forehead creasing up, he pushed the button and answered the oncoming call.

"**Hello."**

Silence.

"**Hello, who is this?"**

"Yukimura, its been so long."

The Rikkaidai captain froze on his spot when the familiar voice wafted down through his ears. The hand holding onto the apparatus began to shake and his lips quivered in fright.

"How have you've been my precious Seiichi?"

"Is Keigo kun there with you?"

"I've heard about Ryoma."

"Is he alright now." The cold throaty voice continued, not sounding even a little a sympathetic.

"Wha—What do you want?" he stammered.

Laughter sounded from the other line that sent shivers of fright and utter revulsion to run down the Rikkai dai captain's spine. "Oh I see you're afraid Yukimura. I think you need to get in now and lock your doors closed. You'll never know when danger would come."

"You wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious prodigy will you." The man chuckled apathetically.

"Touch him and you'll regret it you bastard," he threatened but only earned another bout of lifeless laughter.

"Well see that Seiichi. . . We'll see who will win between the three of us. But just a piece of reminder, watch out for your precious Ryoma if you don't want to loose him FOR GOOD." With that final note, the line went dead.

Yukimura just stayed on his spot shaking to the roots of his hair.

"Seiichi is something wrong?"

He almost jumped out it surprise when a voice suddenly spoke up from behind him. He immediately looked back hands clutching his chest tightly. "Atobe," he breathed out.

The diva frowned at him. "What's with you?"

"Atobe he's back. He's out to get Ryoma."

When realization and understanding finally dawned upon the hyotei captain, a gasp had escaped his lips. Dread overtaking his whole being.

"No it can't be. He's gone." He denied.

Yukimura shook his head at him. "No Atobe he IS back."

Their nightmares are already catching up to them.

* * *

**A/N: **Obviously it took me a lot of time to finish this installment, so I hope it turned out fine

Anyway once again I am taking this chance to thank everyone who had been supporting me all throughout. May it be known or not. I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. To those who had been taking their times in writing me such inspiring reviews. And to those who had been adding me up in their favorite stories, author and alerts list. Really thank you.

And I wouldn't grow tired of thanking you people for being my inspirations to strive to be better.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW

No FLAMES please

arigato minna san. . . . .


	11. Fuji, Kevin and Ryoma Part 1

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's**

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **apocadelic, DemonGirl13, 1xmocha, Sprig, FlyingShadow666, dichan, RuByMoOn17, eiarim.miraie, Empress Satori

**A/N** I'm back and I've got two good news to everyone. As of this moment I am already polishing up the frameworks of my upcoming fics. The only problem I'm having as of now is that I don't know which of them should I post as soon as WOTH (will of the heart) wraps up. Anyway the second good news is that my muse came back recently hurray. . . and new ideas for this story kept sprouting so expect more twists and there is a big tendency that I might extend the run of this story. Hehehehe. . .

And if you'll notice the title has a part one in it, so this means that this would be a two part installment. The second part would be posted also within this week as soon as I finish polishing it up.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Enjoy Reading. . . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Eleven**

_**Fuji's secret, Kevin's agony and Ryoma's fear Part 1**_

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

**Japanese team camp**

Tezuka sighed as he walked over to the balcony of the room he's currently sharing with Fuji. He leaned himself against the steel railings barricading the edges pondering onto himself. His ears were on high alert as he heard the door of the bedroom opening and then shutting close. Familiar footsteps resounded from inside and the glass sliding doors leading to the balcony was opened.

The Seigaku captain didn't move an inch from his position as his eyes darted skyward watching as the clear blue sky started to get darkened by the ominously black clouds rolling across it. The previously calm and gentle wind started to blow sharper making the leaves of the nearby trees to rustle violently against it. The signs of a foreboding storm didn't escape the captain's watchful eyes.

"What do you want to talk about Kunimitsu?" the voice sounded from behind him unceremoniously.

Tezuka tilted his head slightly towards the tensai who was now standing behind him, before resuming in watching the sky like it was something enjoyable to look at. Lately he was being constantly bothered by the tensai's obvious interest towards Seigaku's valuable freshman regular. He had to admit he wasn't any different from Fuji for he was also interested in the young boy.

From the first time Ryoma set foot in the Seigaku tennis courts he knew that he finally found the next pillar of support for the tennis team. And he made sure that Ryoma would know his plans for him. He could see his endless potentials in the game that is why he tried his best to bring out the real Ryoma. For him to not merely be a copy of his father the legendary Samurai Nanjiroh, but a person of his own.

But with regards to Fuji's interest with the prodigy is starting to alarm him as of lately. At first he saw it as a brotherly thing between the two. He's seeing the signs before but he just shrugs it off and just opt to think that what Fuji was doing is purely out of concern for he is his kouhai. And now he is starting to think otherwise. Fuji seemed to have grown an obsession towards the young prodigy. A streak that might end up into something else and Tezuka didn't like theidea even for one bit.

He tends to have strange reactions whenever the boy is being associated with other people. Some people may not notice it but he knew Fuji like the back of his hand. Fuji might go fooling around about random things. Even the ruckus he had caused earlier in the cafeteria, he knew that he did it on purpose. The others may think that Fuji spouted those words out of carelessness but there was something in there that didn't go unnoticed to Tezuka.

There was anger and frustration being hidden along those eyes of his when he opened them for a fleeting moment. He saw how his fists clenched and his smile dropped when the others couldn't see him. And what happened earlier was the last straw. He definitely needs to be enlightened with this. He wasn't going to just let things slide off that easily.

"Fuji I want you to stop talking nonsense about Echizen. You're distracting everyone's attention away from the camp." He replied in a flat tone after a few minutes of intense silence.

"So this is about Ryoma." He responded calmly, crossing his arms against his chest.

"With what you are doing you'll start causing troubles for everyone." Tezuka felt like he's going to suffer a major headache after this conversation is over.

"I'm merely stating the truth. Why are you making it sound like it is something that would cause an apocalypse?" he snorted.

"Fuji, can't you see? Sanada could have strangled Eiji because of what you said. You know how Eiji reacts when it comes to Echizen."

"Aa, I know. A lot of people care about him," Fuji retorted back with a hint of disdain.

"I know you care about Echizen's welfare as much as you care about your younger brother Yuuta. But Echizen isn't really your brother so you don't have a reign on him. He has his own mind and he could decide all to himself." He said exasperatedly.

Fuji's smile immediately got washed away. Tezuka doesn't know if it was pure coincidence that when Fuji slowly opened his eyes, thunder started roaring down from the sky like a broken record. "You also don't have a control over me Tezuka. So you can't tell me what I could and could not do." He groused sarcastically making the captain to twitch involuntarily.

"Fuji—"

"I won't let anyone take Ryoma away from me." The tensai boldly stared at him. "Nobody can control me."

The stoic captain felt like his insides froze upon seeing those piercing blue orbs. "Fuji you are starting to confuse me with the way you are acting."

"You don't know everything Tezuka," he added up mysteriously.

"Fuji you're starting to bite off too much."

"Don't try getting in my way Kunimitsu. I may love you but I won't allow you to manipulate me. I won't allow you to pester me to fuck off of Ryoma's life. I can't humor you on this one Kunimitsu. So just save anything that you might want to say. Cause I'm definitely not going to hear any of it."

"Syuusuke. . ."

The tensai stormed out of the room making sure to slam the door loud enough to rattle everyone hounding along the vicinity. He could even hear Eiji and Momoshiro's nervous laughter as they tried joking around with the pissed off tensai.

Tezuka gave out a heavy breath as he sat himself down the wooden bench feeling completely drained out from the confrontation. "He's hiding something" he mumbled all to himself. He felt droplets of water falling down on him. But he didn't stir away and just allowed himself to be soaked down by the heavy downpour, not minding the bone chattering cold rain water that was slowly seeping down to his skin. "Tezuka Kunimitsu what have you gotten yourself into?"

He buried his face down the palm of his hands, while shaking his head in confusion and worry.

"Fuji what are you playing at?"

* * *

Ryoma moaned aloud and shifted on the bed to stir away from the offending ray of sunlight shamelessly fanning down his face. His hand flew over the other side and fell down a large fluffy material. Sighing in contentment he tugged the material closer onto himself and buried his face onto it. 

"Hmmm. . . smells like strawberries," he mumbled out as he involuntarily caught the smell of the said fruit when he moved to hug the pillow closer.

He was about to fall back to his deep slumber when he heard a small barely audible chuckle from around him. Instantly, his senses were on high alert as his eyes frantically snapped open. His golden orbs squinted a little as he adjusted himself onto his bright surroundings. After regaining his normal vision, the sight of a peach colored ceiling had greeted him. He shifted his head on the other side and saw the white draperies billowing slightly against the cold morning wind gushing against the opened doors. His sight remained glued onto that spot as he viewed the lake which could also be seen when the curtains would move against the wind.

He was silently pondered onto himself on where he was and what had happened. The last thing he knew and could remember clearly is that he was chasing Kevin for teasing him and then he felt an unbearable pain that shot through his head. His world turned hazy as he clutched it with his hands. His vision dimmed as he lost his strength slowly. And then he fell unconscious. What happened after that he didn't know anymore.

"Aa, Ryo chan you're already awake." Came the delighted voice he knew all too well.

Ryoma almost let out a frustrated groan when he heard that voice. Golden eyes looked toward the opposite side and there, by the doorway stood the grinning Rikkai dai captain with a medium sized tray being held by both his hands. The sadistic boy kept smiling at him, making Ryoma shift against his spot uneasily.

"Aa, Ryo chan it seems that you've grown quite attached to Kei chan's pillow," he teased while settling down the tray on the bed side table. "Mou, you're making me jealous you know." He pouted childishly.

Before he could even answer the door of the room opened up once again, this time revealing a rather livid looking Atobe. He had a murderous look on his face while his hand kept on clenching and unclenching against a poor newspaper roll. The two occupants watched him strut across the room and slam himself down the settee near the large bed.

"What are you looking at?" he snarled when he noticed the inquisitive looks being sent toward his direction.

"My, My, Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed I see." Yukimura teased as he kept on drumming his fingers against his arms sending Atobe an irritating knowing look.

"Back off Yukimura," the Hyotei captain bit back burying himself against the soft seat even further. His eyes bore holes against the innocent walls of the room as he continued frowning.

The sadistic boy didn't seem to be the least taken aback by the divas hard boiled attitude as he moved to sit beside the seething boy. "Aa, Kei chan why don't you tell Ryo chan and I what's wrong with you," Yukimura murmured against the fuming boys ears.

Ryoma who started to feel quite uncomfortable with the way the sadistic boy is acting chose to look away moving his focus against anything random, just as long as he wouldn't see what Yukimura was doing at the moment. Who was obviously flirting with the gray haired boy.

"Aren't you interested to know what's bothering our precious monkey kings mind dear ryo chan?" Seiichi's voice pierced through his ears again.

"No thanks. I don't want another headache to go and bother me." He groused dryly trying to look and act as disinterested as possible.

"Aw Ryo chan is being a big meanie again," Yukimura chided before turning back his attention toward Keigo who was still glaring against the walls. "Come now Keigo tell me what's bothering you. Being so secretive is not good you know." He prodded on.

"That stupid American boy is at it again," he gritted those words against his teeth making it barely understandable.

"It's Kevin again?" He said not sounding even a bit surprised by this.

"That bastard is really pissing me off. I saw him hounding around the cottage since two in the morning." Keigo hailed out irascibly.

"Ah, maybe he just wanted to check up on Ryo chan and see how he's doing," he muttered shooting a wary look toward the young prodigy's direction. "They're CLOSE to each other you know."

Atobe scowled. "He's acting like a mother hen and it ticks me off. He makes it look like we're some evil perverts who'd go and dive to grab any given opportunity to molest the kid there," he yelled while also looking at Ryoma. "Ore sama wouldn't do such a thing. It's not fitting for a person of my stature to lower myself and molest someone. How dare him?!"

Yukimura sighed while running a soothing hand down Atobe's back. "I suppose you're just presuming everything that you are saying."

"And so?. . . anyone with eyes could see that the blonde kid is lusting over bratty boy there," he pointed at the prodigy.

"You've got some serious problem there Monkey King."

The two turned to look at the young prodigy's direction. It seems that the boy was also listening in on the conversation after all, even though he didn't appear like it at all.

"Give Kevin a break will you? Come on he wasn't even bothering you in the first place, so why do you keep on harassing him?" he threw a bored look towards the tray next to him and then at Yukimura who was also looking at him expectantly. "Hey is this food for me?" he questioned while pointing to the Japanese breakfast on the wooden tray.

Yukimura just nodded in response before he stood up from his spot beside Atobe and began arranging the Japanese breakfast in bed he prepared specially for the freshman.

"Oi, Oi, brat, are you saying that ore sama is the one who is at fault here?" the diva looked at the boy incredulously.

"If it isn't yours then whose fault is it, hmmm???" He shrugged before spooning over some of the yummy looking grilled fish.

"Are you taking sides now brat?" His voice turned up a notch higher than the normal.

"Atobe keep your voice down. It's still too early to go yelling around the room," Yukimura admonished as he assisted Ryoma in eating the food. The younger one kept on swatting away his hands insisting that he can do it alone but the older boy didn't budge from his deed. In the end he just ended up spoon feeding the young prodigy while the latter just kept on sighing in frustration as he chewed on his meal.

"To hell I care, ore sama can shout and yell whenever he wants to." He threw Yukimura a small glare before looking back at the bratty freshman heatedly.

"Neh Sei chan make Keigo stop blabbing like a monkey, he's giving me a migraine with all his yelling around," he shot the Rikkai dai captain a look before taking in another spoonful of his delicious breakfast.

"Aa. Kei chan stop being jealous okay. You know Ryo chan wouldn't exchange us for that blonde no matter what happens. He just loves us too much." He said innocently.

COUGH! COUGH!

"Ryo chan are you okay?" Yukimura dropped down his spoon and rushed to aid the choking freshman who kept on coughing like mad.

"WAT. . . ER. . . . WA. . .TER" he wheezed out as he continued thumping his chest trying to make the piece of fish that got caught in his throat to move away.

Keigo who was in the middle of his endless babbling broke out from his litany and ran to help Yukimura save the choking boy. He emerged back from the kitchen with a glass of water in hand. "Here drink this."

Ryoma eagerly grabbed the glass of water and gobbled it up swiftly. He felt relieved when the water went along his throat smoothly washing away the blockage along with it. He inhaled with rapid succession trying to get as much air as possible to replenish his deprived lungs. He coughed a little when he felt like his throat was being scraped when air went along against it.

Yukimura kept on patting his back while Keigo took the empty glass from him and settled it back on the night table, eyes never leaving his prone body.

"Ryo chan are you okay?" Seiichi cooed back at him with so much worry.

"Yeah I'm fine." He said while nodding weakly.

Keigo who looked like a torn was plucked out of his side, heaved out a heavy breath. Obviously out of huge relief. "You're such an accident prone person Ryoma. Ever since we we're kids you where always. . . "

Silence.

Ryoma gazed at the Hyotei captain, who had just fallen silent for an unknown reason. The older boy had that unreadable look plastered upon his face. He exchanged looks with Seiichi who just shrugged back at him, looking equally clueless as him.

"Neh, Keigo—"

No response.

"Oi Monkey King."

A vein throbbed against the side of his head when he still didn't get any reasonable and clear reply from the diva who looked like he was too caught up in his own little world. Shaking his head in annoyance, Ryoma reached out and started poking the unresponsive captain against his side several times.

Poke! Poke!

After several more attempts, he finally got a reaction from the latter. Keigo's forehead slowly creased before his eyes flickered toward the young prodigy's direction who had returned the look with narrowed eyes.

Poke!

"Oi stop poking me," he retorted icily glaring down at Ryoma's offensive hand.

"Che. . . I would if you'd tell me why you stopped talking all of a sudden."

"It's none of your business, so stop being a brat," he snorted uncharacteristically before inching away from them.

"I want to know what you were trying to say. I think that it is something important." He prodded. "Come on tell me."

"Ore sama just wanted to tell you that you've been such a troublesome kid ever since we were kids," he retorted back.

"Oi if I could remember it correctly you are the troublesome one, not me." He glared at the Hyotei captain.

"Yes you are. You almost died because of that attitude of yours you know." Atobe's eyes suddenly widened before his hand flew over his mouth covering it harshly.

Ryoma looked at him with surprise. "What do you mean?"

Instead of giving him a concrete explanation he just looked away turning toward the other captain with a helpless look on his face. Ryoma also turned to the other captain hoping to get his much needed explanation from the latter but to no avail.

"Aa Ryoma don't mind Kei chan here. He was just rambling something of no importance. Really," he laughed nervously.

He knotted his brows at them, suspiciously eyeing the two fidgeting boys "You're hiding something from me are you?" he asked bluntly watching their reactions carefully.

The two captains visibly flinched back but wisely kept their mouths shut. "Fine, I don't care what your secret is anyway," he said in retreat before moving to push himself up from the bed. He spun around and dangled his feet along the edges to slide his feet on his white fluffy slippers lying carelessly down the floor. After he had successfully donned the pair of slippers, he stood up and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Oi Ryoma where are you going?" Atobe's voice asked him authoritatively.

He looked over his shoulders and answered him back briefly. "I'm taking a bath. I'll practice today." With that he entered the bathroom and clicked the door close, safely locking it in place to make sure that no one would be able to go barging in on him.

"Whatever you're hiding from me, I'll find out what it is sooner or later."

* * *

Heavy breaths, they unknowingly held back, had been released once the door of the bathroom had firmly shut closed. A few minutes later and the sound of running water emanated from around the whole room echoing from the shower area where the young prodigy was currently at. The bed creaked a little when Yukimura silently eased himself up from his spot. 

Atobe just followed him with a cautious stare, watching as the sadist trudged towards the balcony. He gently pushed the sliding doors wide apart and stepped outside. The morning breeze dashed against him making the seemingly fragile form to give a slight shake. His hair slightly danced against the blowing wind.

"You almost slipped," his tone was monotonous as he spoke towards the Hyotei captain who leaned along the metal railings just beside him.

"I know. No need to remind me," he answered gruffly tapping his shoe against the flooring.

"Be careful what you say next time Keigo. I don't think it's the right time for Ryoma to know the truth. To know what happened that night." Yukimura reminded him sternly. He crouched down and picked up a small rock that was lying carelessly down the floor. Without even bothering to know how a stone got in there in the first place, he threw it against the lake making it bounce against the water surface several times before it finally sank below.

"Ore sama understands what you are trying to say Yukimura so you don't need to repeat it over and over again. Ore sama is not dumb, you know," the Hyotei captain muttered while flicking his precious hair in place.

The wind blew once again, and birds safely perched up on their nests started to grow restless as they moved to flap their wings to fly away.

"Keigo about what we've talked about regarding Ryoma," Yukimura said out of the blue, his melodious voice cutting through the thick blanket of silence that hang around them.

"I told you I won't tell him," he said in slight annoyance.

The Rikkaidai captain shook his head vigorously. "No, I'm talking about the woo Ryoma part."

"Oh that part," he nodded his head in understanding. "What about that one?"

"Maybe this is our chance to bring our selves closer to him. As you were saying Ryoma is already starting to grow quite an attachment to the American kid and it might be quite unhealthy on our part. If the boy successfully captivates Ryoma's attention then our chance to be with him again could get lessened."

"So you are afraid of that American kid after all," he sniggered triumphantly.

He sighed. "Come on Keigo, I know that Kevin could be a major problem in the future. He may not be making a move up until now but I know that sooner or later he'll make his feelings known to Ryoma." He leaned against his hands while staring out at the view before him watching as the flowers dangling by the side of the lake dipped against the pristine water every now and then. "I'm going to tell him how I feel before Kevin does."

"We'll both tell him. Stop taking everything as yours Yukimura." Atobe pointed out with a hint of disdain.

"You are being too stingy you know." He laughed lightly making the not so happy Hyotei captain to frown more deeply.

"I'm just making sure that everything is clear between the two of us."

"Don't worry I know where I stand."

With that, a silent agreement had been sealed between the two captains.

* * *

Thump! Thump! Thump! 

All noises emanating from around the courts had seized to exist as soon as the most anticipated match of the day had started only a few minutes ago. Only the noises of the balls being hit, balls bouncing against the concrete courts, footsteps running here and there, the breath of the players being released and cries as they hit back the ball with full force could be heard. Everyone couldn't do anything else but to anticipate every move being perfectly executed by both players. Even the game that had been happening at the same time was put to a sudden stop when their interest too got caught up with the other ongoing game.

They were too astounded by the game happening between the two nationally ranked tennis players to even bother making even a single noise.

Everyone watched as two of Seigaku's best players battle it out against the courts. Not one of them gave even a single blind spots to even allow the other to score a single point without catching up to the other just as fast. Supposedly this match isn't scheduled until tomorrow but with no opponents left for them play, and no games left to win, the coach's had nothing else to do but put them up against each other.

The two obviously annihilated every opponent that went past their hands, and it wasn't a pretty sight. It seems that the two were very eager to face each other that they didn't bother wasting any time to finish off their opponents.

"Neh Oishi isn't Fujiko being a little too serious in this match," Eiji whispered towards his doubles partner standing alongside him outside of the fenced courts where the match was being held.

The Seigaku mother hen gulped a bit when he saw Fuji hit another one of his triple counters to return Tezuka's drop shot. "Sou da ne," he agreed his hands gripping against the wired fence. "It's only the first set and yet Fuji had already used two of his triple counters thrice."

"Fuji is acting a bit off from his usual self," Kawamura voiced out worriedly.

"Fssshhhh. . . Fuji sempai looks really eager to beat Buchou." Kaidoh hissed.

"With the way Tezuka is playing now I think that he is also just as eager as him." Murmured Eiji as he watched the seigaku captain execute yet another drop shot.

"It looks like Tezuka Buchou and Fuji sempai are fighting over something," Momoshiro voiced out all of a sudden making the others to look at him in surprise.

"Nya, Momo how can you say so?"

"Fuji sempai looks angry at captain Tezuka." He inwardly shivered upon seeing the fierce look flash against the tensai's blue orbs when he executed another counter.

"Hoi. . . I think I remember it now." Eiji responded all of a sudden before turning toward the others. "Momo remember last night when we overheard the two of them shouting against each other." Eiji recalled.

Momoshiro seemed to have catched up with what Eiji was trying to point out. "Hai, I remember it now Eiji sempain. . . .Maybe this is what it's all about.'

"There is a hundred percent probability that this has something to with the fight they ahd last night. Hmm, I wonder what it was all about for them to act like this? Iie, data," Inui's glasses gleamed against the piercing sun as he bent down against his notebook to jot down some data he came up with.

"Damn you Tezuka!!!."

Everyone gasped when they heard the usually calm looking Fuji Syuusuke curse the respected Seigaku captain. Tezuka who was still trying to keep his cool during the whole match started to show signs that his walls of self control are already starting to crumble down his feet. His returns became much sharper and heavier.

"Fuji—"

"Gah," the tensai wiped away the small blotch of blood that trickled down the side of his lips. "Tezuka!!!"

"Oishi, can you tell us why your two players are acting like monsters trying to rip each other's guts out?" Asked the voice from behind the Seigaku team. The whole teams attention was plucked out of the game and focused against the groups who were approaching them calmly.

It seems that the other game had already finished for the two players involved in the game where also tagging along with the approaching group; Fuji Yuuta and Kirihara Akaya. The younger Fuji sibling kept on glaring at the Rikkaidai player who seemed oblivious of the deadly looks being directed to him. He just kept on tossing the tennis ball in his hand with a cocky grin plastered on his face.

"I'll win next time," he muttered under his breath, chugging his hands down the pocket of his shorts roughly.

"Ah, are you saying something Fuji Syuusuke's younger brother," Kirihara raised his brows at the boy in question.

"Bastard," he retorted before stomping off towards the Seigaku team faster than the others. His eyes automatically drifted off towards the courts, more specifically on his brothers form. His forehead creased as he watched the older Fuji play against the Seigaku captain, seriously. "Neh aniki's game looks odd. It looks like he wants to win so badly this time." He deduced as he followed his brothers every move.

"Hmmm . . . it seems that your brother is in the mood for a serious game. Maybe it would be nice if get to play with him instead of you. The game could have been more fun. I'll get to crush the Fuji Syuusuke." Kirihara uttered straight to the point.

"Teme—" Yuuta shook in suppressed rage.

"Kirihara stop provoking him," Sanada admonished his kouhai sternly.

"But—"

Even before he could mutter another word, Kirihara just wisely kept his mouth shut as soon as the Vice captain of Rikkaidai started emanating an intense aura that clearly translates as, complain and get punished. Satisfied of making the bratty player stop his useless whining, Sanada turned his attention from Fuji and Tezuka back to Oishi who was looking at him expectantly.

"Oishi as I was saying earlier can you tell me. . . is something wrong with Tezuka and Fuji. From the way I'm seeing things, it looks like those two are fighting there instead of playing tennis," he inwardly grimaced when the tennis ball hit back the tensai in the face once again, giving his cheek one good scrape.

Before he could even explain, Tachibana, who was standing behind the group, moved to go up front. "All of us noticed that your two players seemed to have been using this match to settle down their personal issues. And from the looks of it there would be a blood shed sooner or later if we don't stop their game at any moment." He added out while gazing toward the courts with a worried look on his face.

"Those two aren't going to listen to any of us. They'll do what ever they want and nobody can stop them." Oishi sighed. "I'm afraid we can't do anything else regarding the matter."

"Do you at least have any idea why those two are trying to kill each other?" Shishido asked bluntly.

"Shishido san,"Choutarou wisely nudged his doubles partners to warn him about the words he's using.

"As far as I know those had an argument last night and they were like that ever since this morning." Oishi answered. "They actually weren't in speaking terms even until now."

"They fought? Hmmmm that's interesting," Oshitari hummed to himself.

"Maybe it was because of the news where Yukimura and Atobe where molesting Ochibi," Eiji huffed while crossing his arms against his chest.

"Eiji,"the mother hen gave him a look before turning to Sanada apologetically. "Don't mind what Eiji is saying here. He's just worried about Echizen, that's all," he said while laughing nervously.

Sanada threw the acrobatics player a simple but acrid stare before resuming in watching the match attentively.

Whoosh. . .

The tennis ball blasted off and hit the fence with a loud smash startling everyone in the vicinity. Fuji fell back on the ground when the ball accidentally wheezed along his shoulder.

"Fujiko. . " Eiji whined out watching as the tensai lay motionless on the dirty floor with his racket still being tightly gripped by his hand. As for Tezuka, the captain stood on the opposite side, panting heavily as his eyes stayed glued on the prone form of his boyfriend.

"Fuji," he breathed heavily. "Fuji stand up. . . . stand up," Tezuka commanded without even batting an eyelash.

"Shut up," the sadistic boy chortled out as he twitched a little before moving fully to push himself up from the ground. His cold blue eyes pinned the stoic captain on his spot, anger and frustration being mirrored clearly against them. "Stop acting like you're a god Tezuka," he yelled before touching the abrasion that had appeared on his cheek when the ball had accidentally grazed his face earlier.

The Seigaku captain's eye glasses flashed dangerously

"I will do what I want and you can't stop me."

"Fuji—"

"Onegai Kunimitsu I don't want us to grow apart just because of this. Just leave me be." the tensai murmured almost pleadingly. He slowly crumpled down and kneeled on the floor. "Don't stop me from doing what I want."

"Aniki—" Yuuta felt like his heart clenched at the sight of his brother looking so helpless out there.

"Syuusuke. . ." The Seigaku captain said not minding if everyone could really hear him calling the tensai by first name basis. He knew that everyone was already aware of his relationship with the sadist anyway. He blinked several times but his attention never really wavered from his boyfriend kneeling down the ground on the opposite side of the net. By instinct his feet started to move, and before he knew it he was already standing before the tensai. "Fuji. . . daijobu?"

Fuji just smiled back at him weakly before wincing out a bit when he touched his swollen cheek. He extended his hands and touched the tensai's cheek lightly. "Does it hurt that much?" He asked while inspecting the wound.

"No it doesn't," he denied. "But this one hurts. . . a lot."

The captain moved his attention away from the injury and looked at the direction to where the tensai was pointing at only to find out that he was referring to his chest, to his heart in particular.

"I can't leave him alone Tezuka. . . please don't make me leave you instead."

"Fuji, what exactly is your relationship with Echizen. . . is he. . . . " he took a deep breath "Is he your lover?"

Fuji smiled bitterly, "No he's not."

"Then why are you acting like this Fuji? I can't understand why you're doing this."

"Everything happens for a reason Kunimitsu. But I'm afraid I can't tell you what my reason is."

"Why??"

"You'll know it yourself when the right time comes. For now, let's just leave things as it is." He laid down his hands on the Captain's arms. "Can I trust you Kunimitsu? Can I trust you not to tell anyone else about this?"

He sighed before he nodded in agreement. "Alright you can trust me. Just make sure that you won't do anything that might harm the others. Refrain from making side comments that might disrupt everyone's focus away from the camp."

Fuji's smile returned at that as his eyes once again turned to it's usual closed position. "Hai."

Tezuka then moved up to stand from his crouching position before stretching out his hands once again to offer him some support, in which the tensai gracefully accepted. Together, they gathered up all their equipments and headed for the exit, not minding the perturbed players standing by the gates. They just went past them, without a word, and like nothing had actually happened back there.

"Oi you two where do you think you're going? The game isn't finished yet," Ryuzaki sensei called out after them.

Tezuka stopped in his tracks before throwing the coach an apologetic look. "Gomen Ryuzaki sensei. . . but I think it's better to let Fuji rest for the time being. His energy had been immensely depleted and it wouldn't be advisable for him to continue in this kind of situation. Let's just reschedule the match tomorrow Ryuzaki sensei." He turned around and resumed into assisting the tensai to climb the stairs leading to the sleeping quarters.

"Gomen nasai Ryuzaki sensei," Fuji apologized.

The captain gave the coach a small nod before he resumed in assisting the tensai to climb up the flight of stairs leading to the sleeping quarters of the camp.

Ryuzaki sensei just kept on staring until the two weren't visible to her range of sight anymore. Shaking her head in frustration she glanced over to the two other coach's standing alongside her. "Kid's this days. . . . so troublesome."

* * *

A pair of eyes looked back when he heard the door of the room creak open. He saw a familiar figure walking in from the parted wooden door. He flicked his lighted cigarette in boredom before resuming in looking out of the large glass window located beside his chair. 

"We're have you've been?" He asked the new arrival trying to sound as uncaring as possible.

The older man chuckled at him before strolling over to the liquor cabinet and extracted a new bottle of red wine. He watched from the corner of his eyes as the figure scrambled around the room, before settling himself down in the empty chair in front of him.

He opened the wine bottle and poured some on the two wine glasses he got from the cabinet. "Here have some," the man said to him while motioning for him to take the spare glass. He nodded in gratitude before grabbing the glass without a word. "I just went to visit a VERY important person." He muttered with a malicious glint in his eyes.

He just raised his brows at the man in front of him before daintily taking a sip of his drink. "Hmmm. . . so you were spying on him all this time?"

"In order for a plan to succeed one should know how his prey moves. . ." He chuckled. "Remember that my boy."

"I'll take that as a very important tip," he grinned before downing the drink in one gulp. "So how long are you planning to hound around them?"

"Until I get enough information, I won't stop tailing behind them. . . then I will strike. . . when they least expect it."

"You're one sneaky guy you know that," he sniggered.

"Thank you. . ."

"Then what are you planning with the other problem you have? It seems that you are focusing too much on him that you are forgetting that you need to take care of two pests that keep on getting in your way."

"I've got everything all covered up. Everything is going on smoothly and according to my plans. It's only a matter of time before phase two would finally reach its completion."

"Phase two??"

"The scare tactics part. . ." he laughed.

"Are you sure that you're really scaring them?"

"I'm more than sure my boy. . . . more than sure. . . and when I'm finished with them they wouldn't have anything left for them to able to start all over again."

He leaned forward and refilled both their glasses. After placing back the half consumed bottle back on the table top, he raised his glasses to offer a toast. "Let's toast for our upcoming victory."

"Cheers."

* * *

Ryoma sighed in relief when the coach's finally declared that practice was finally over. He eagerly went over to the wooden bench and grabbed his over sized face towel hanging on it and used it to wipe his face drenched in cold sweat. He ran the smooth cotton across his arms and back to rid off the sticky perspiration dripping down it before he chugged the soiled material back inside his tennis bag. He gathered up his racket, placed it inside his bag and hoisted up the strap on his shoulders. 

"Oi Ryoma," Kevin hollered out as he appeared out of nowhere.

"Ooofff!!," the young prodigy coughed when he felt like air was knocked out from his lungs when the American literalydraped himself over him.

He immediately halted from his steps and looked at the hyperactive blonde hanging over his shoulders. "Kevin," he sighed. "What do you want?" His eyes were a little unsteady as he continuously looked around for any sign of Yukimura and Atobe. The last thing he want now is to have one ballistic monkey king and a sadistic Yukimura lurking around and creating a havoc.

"Awww. . . you're being a big meanie again," he pouted.

He tapped his foot along the concrete floors impatiently. "Spill it out Kev. I don't have all day you know."

Ryoma doesn't know if he had just imagined it but when he looked at Kevin he could swear that he saw his eyes flash a look of hurt and what else hmmm. . . . sadness???

"I got you some Ponta," he said in a low voice before handing him out a can of the said drink meekly.

He narrowed his eyes at the boy who in turn looked away from him not wanting to meet his scrutinizing stare. "Arigato." He pulled open the tab and started gulping down the cold drink. He gave out a sigh of satisfaction as soon as the cold beverage had hit his dried up throat. He started making his way out of the courts again with Kevin following him behind. "Do you need something else Kevin?" he asked without even looking back.

The blonde just scratched his head and laughed lifelessly. "I just wanted to congratulate you for being the singles one player. . . you deserve it."

He just nodded in appreciation. Earlier, a match had been held between the chosen representatives to see who would be earning the spots in the line-up. Coach James isn't your typical coach who just puts in the player of his choice. Rather he decides the line-up with matches. He was supposed to be fighting up for a spot in doubles since the coach's were still hesitant to place him in a game alone, considering that he is still recuperating from the shooting incident. But being the Echizen Ryoma, he had been too stubborn to even listen to any of their reasons no matter how convincing it is.

He didn't relent from his will to be placed in a singles match. In the end he had managed to win the battle of wits against the coach's. He flawlessly defeated all competitors and even though he was already exhausted and his whole body was already screaming for a long and comfortable rest, he didn't back down from the last threat imposed to be his rival in singles one: Atobe Keigo.

The competition between him and Atobe took quite a long time because the tie break's seemed to go on forever. But after revealing some tricks he had been hiding up his sleeves all along, Ryoma finally won and gained the spot of singles one.

"_One more point and I'll win," Ryoma whispered to himself as he bounced the ball on the floor. He took a deep breath and looked at Atobe. "Ready to loose now Monkey King?"_

"_Just hit the damn ball brat and stop talking," the Hyotei captain yelled impatiently._

_He smirked before throwing the ball up in the air and hit it back with full force. The rally went on and on until. . . ._

"_**Oi what's happening to captain Ryoma?"**__ Lawrence gasped along with everyone._

_The said prodigy looks like he's glowing with that strong aura leaking out from his petite body. Even Atobe froze on his spot not being able to move even an inch away from his current position. The ball just went past him without even meeting any hindrance from the perturbed diva._

"_**Wha—What the hell was that?"**__ Kazuhiko asked wide eyed._

_Ryoma just smiled as he tapped his racket against his shoulders cockily. "Che. . . you were supposed to hit the ball not stare at it."_

"_**It's the pinnacle of perfection," **__Yukimura answered back, his eyes sparkling with awe as he stared at the younger boy._

"_**Pinnacle of Perfection!" **__everyone said in unison._

"_**Ryoma. . . when did you open the last door?"**_

"_**Che it just happened. I don't know when did it exactly happen," **__he shrugged._

_Atobe just snorted. __**"Lucky brat. Always trying to move one step ahead of ore sama"**_

"_**Mada mada dane Monkey King."**_

"Um Ryoma I'll go first," Kevin groused out. "You should also head back to your cottage and rest. You're still recovering you know, so don't force yourself too much."

He just looked at the American boy before nodding watching as the latter dashed away and disappeared back in the main building. He threw his empty can on a nearby trash bin and swerved towards the cottage, eager to step in the bathroom and take his well needed bath. He was already in the middle of taking his bath when he heard someone entering the cottage.

"Ryo chan are you here?" Yelled the voice. "Ryo chan!!!"

The young prodigy turned off the shower while scrubbing his body with his soap vigorously. "Yeah, I'm in the shower."

He didn't hear any response instead he just noticed a bunch of footsteps coming near the bath area. "Oi don't even think of entering the bathroom. I swear I'll pulverize you if you'd step in here." He threatened.

Yukimura laughed. "Okay. . . Keigo and I will just wait for you outside until you're finished."

"Good."

"Cocky brat," Keigo chortled out.

"Oi monkey king. . . I heard that."

After making sure that he had already rinsed off every soap from his body, Ryoma stepped out and changed onto his clean clothes. He ran his towel against himself to rid off the excess water that's still dripping down his body before donning the fresh set of clothing he laid out in the table a while ago.

Once he was finished he grabbed his comb and started to run it against his still damp locks. He flicked the bathroom lights closed and made his way back to the bedroom and found the two captains silhouettes standing out in the balcony

Still brushing his hair with his comb, he slid the balcony door open.

"Oi do you need something from me?" he asked.

The two exchanged knowing looks that irked his curiosity even more. In the end, Yukimura chose to fill him the details. "We need to talk to you Ryo chan."

* * *

Tezuka kept his focus against the book he was reading. He had it laid down in his lap while he leaned against the soft cushion of the chair he was sitting at. He could hear the sounds of balls being played from the outdoors since the games had been resumed after he and Fuji left a while ago. 

The tensai immediately fell asleep as soon as his back had hit the soft mattress of the bed. Tezuka took the liberty of cleaning up the bruised and exhausted boy and settled him down the bed in a more comfortable position. Ryuzaki sensei, who didn't hide her obvious disappointment with the way they acted earlier came to check up on them several times to make sure that everything is going along fine with them.

"Ungh."

He squinted his eyes toward the bed when he heard the tensai shifting from his position while groaning slightly.

"Ungh. . . prince chan."

His forehead creased a little when he heard Fuji murmuring something under his breath as he grew restless in his sleep.

"No. . . don't hurt prince chan. . ." he sobbed. "Prince chan please be safe. . . please live."

Tezuka felt worried on how the boy is acting. He closed back his book and walked to sit beside the bed. His worry grew ten fold when he saw the droplet of tears slipping out the corner of the tensai''s eyes. "Fuji. . . " he lifted him up and cradled his head against his lap. His hand ran along the soft and silky tresses of his hair to calm him down.

"Don't worry prince chan. . . I'd always be here to protect you. . . ." he whispered with a small smile. His rigid body slowly turned lax in his hold.

New questions started to arouse within Tezuka as he hugged his boyfriend against himself. Something's telling him that things aren't over yet. These things are more troublesome and are rooted within deeper means more than they seemed to be and could only guess that things wouldn't be resolved any sooner. He could just hope and pray that the outcome wouldn't cause such big irrevocable damage.

He looked at the tensai once again and sighed. "Fuji, what secrets are you hiding from me? What?"

* * *

**A/N: **So much for the first part. . . well hope you guys liked it and before I forget I would like to express my sincerest apologies to everyone if ever my updates had been too late. School work are being too hectic so I'm really having a hard time to make a decent update. 

My heartfelt thanks to those who had been giving me such wonderful reviews, even to those people who had added me in their favorites and alerts list.

ARIGATO GOZAIMASU Minna

Please read and review. No flames please.


	12. Fuji, Kevin and Ryoma Part 2

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, language, slight angst**

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **apocadelic, FlyingShadow666, DemonGirl13, Sprig, alaine, RuByMoOn17, eiarim.miraie, dichan, forgotten hyoshi, neko-in-tears

**A/N** Okay so here's part two. . .It took me longer to polish this one up for two reasons. . . One, the timeline kind off mixed up so I had to rewrite this all over again and second well I'm a little ticked off for the past few days ever since I read a thread that says that Prince of Tennis is stupid. . . and the characters are just all looks and has no depth in them . . . .

Anyway part two isn't as long as the previous one since this is just a continuation of the latter. I'll try to make the update as soon as I have my free time.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Hope You'd Enjoy Reading. . . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Twelve**

_**Fuji's secret, Kevin's agony and Ryoma's fear Part 2**_

* * *

Kevin blindly reached out and searched for the familiar form of the shower knob protruding against the bathroom wall. His endless fumbling came to a sudden stop when his knuckles bumped against a cold metal surface. He ducked his head against the water running down the shower one last time before grasping the knob tightly against his hand and turned it off. As soon as the water drizzling down on his wet body was finally cut off, he outstretched his hands and reached out for his over sized blue towel hanging along the metal rack. 

He rubbed off the excess water dripping down from his damp golden hair vigorously before wrapping the soft cottony material around his torso. After making sure that the shower had really been firmly shut close, he pushed open the bathroom doors and trudged back to his small walk in closet to extract a fresh set of clothing.

He stalked back to his bedroom, laying down his clothes on top of his bed before shrugging off the towel hugging his body. Noiselessly, he pulled on his underpants and a pair of dark jeans, matching it off with a plain black shirt he randomly fumbled out from his stacked garments. He moved to stand in front of his life sized mirror making sure that he was now properly dressed before proceeding in running his trusty comb against his hair. The blonde sat over a small stool in front of the dresser watching him self as he groomed his messy hair.

As he contemplated against the chilling silence empowering his mid sized room he could faintly hear the sound of the wind blowing outside his room. The thin branches, of the trees planted outside the building, hanging near the window kept on tapping against the glass in continuous rhythm. The sounds of thunder would spring out every now and then.

His eyes flew over the small wooden picture frame perched on top of his night table. A smile automatically graced his lips as he stood up and fetched the object into his hands. His eyes were glued towards the photo delicately placed inside it. Fond memories rushed to his mind remembering the day this picture was taken. A day he considered as one of the happiest moments in his life. A time when he finally realized that there's still hope for people like him. That no matter what hardship he would encounter there would always be light waiting ahead of him.

His fingers traced the smiling figures on the glossy memento. But he stopped against one particular face. The face of someone who had brought new light on his hopeless and miserable life. The one who had given him new reasons to live his life and strive to be a better person. A person who would be worthy to love and be loved in return. Echizen Ryoma. . . . .

_Kevin smiled like a Cheshire cat as he finally found the item he had been looking for inside his unruly closet. His mind conjured over several ideas of how he could make good use of his camera which made his smile grow even wider. Heart thumping faster in excitement and anxiousness, he shoved down his camera inside his backpack and slung the bag over his shoulders, dashing out of the house in a hurry. He didn't even mind his father's rants which he had grown accustomed already. _

_He had showed up in front of the doorstep of Ryoma's hotel room only to find out that the young prodigy had gone out. He rerouted and wandered along New York in search for his friend. He had been running and walking around the whole morning but his search remained fruitless. Sighing in resignation he dragged himself along the pebbled pathway of the public park._

"_Hotdogs! Get your hotdogs here!"_

_The smell of hotdogs being cooked nearby assaulted his noise and Kevin's stomach made a small grumble of protest. Deciding that he better take a small snack before resuming his hunting escapade, he walked over to the small hotdog stand to buy some food. _

"_One please"_

"_One hotdog please"_

_Kevin looked at the person who spoke along with him and his eyes visibly widened upon seeing the freshman he had been looking for standing there in the flesh. _

"_Ryoma."_

"_Eh, you look like you've been ran over by a bulldozer." The bratty tennis player smirked back at him before reaching over to get the snack he had ordered. "What's up with you?"_

_He paid for his own meal and walked along with Ryoma. "I was out here all morning looking for you."_

_Ryoma raised his brows in a questioning way. "Looking for me?"_

_He nodded back before taking a bite off from his hot dog. "I want to take pictures with you."_

"_Yadda." The prodigy muttered dryly tossing the empty hot dog wrapper and can of ponta on the nearby trash bin before strolling over to a wooden bench were he unloaded his racket from his tennis bag._

"_Aw come on Ryoma, don't be such a party pooper," he whined glomping the poor freshman energetically._

"_Yadda."_

"_Please. . ."_

"_Yadda."_

"_Pretty please," he pleaded with a small pout on his lips._

"_Kevin—" the prodigy's golden eyes looked back at him for a while before the boy let out a long suffering sigh. "Okay fine you win. . . but just one picture and that's it."_

_He gave out a whoop of joy before dragging the unresisting freshman over to sit on one of the benches. "Sit there. . ." He dug his paraphernalia's from inside his bag and began setting it up in front of the place where Ryoma was sitting at. He set off the timer and rushed over to the young prodigy's side. He glanced over at Ryoma who had an impassive look on his face._

"_Oi Ryoma. . . we're taking a picture."_

"_I know."_

"_Then you have to smile" He whined like a child._

"_I don't want to smile period." He murmured lazily, leaning his back against the bench._

_He grinned before tackling the freshman, putting two fingers on either side of his lips to force it to a smile. The prodigy thrashed against his hold, trying to move away from him but to no avail. "Teme—"_

"_Just bear it a little longer the camera's already going to take the shot."_

"_But can you remove your fingers from my mouth now. I can smile on my own you know," came his muffled reply._

_He gave him a doubtful look. "You'd really smile?"_

"_Yeah, if that would make you get off my back." He sighed._

_Grinning happily he removed his hands but resorted to draping one of his arms over the boy's shoulders. He could see Ryoma shake his head in frustration before his lips curved up into a warm smile. A smile that would forever be etched in one Kevin Smith's mind. He felt so blessed for seeing that smile. A smile without inhibitions. _

_Kevin had never felt so overwhelmed in all his life. Back then he had nothing. Only his hatred and bitterness. His burning will to revenge his father's defeat. But when he saw and played Ryoma for the first time, is the time when he had realized that he was the one who is on the wrong all this time. His dad wasn't a loser on purpose, but he had been defeated with honor because the one whom he had lost to is a great person just like his son Ryoma._

_And Echizen Nanjiroh, wasn't the person he should blame for all the misery he had suffered from his father's hand. Because the person he should really blame is his dad himself, since he was the one who chose to feel miserable and utterly useless. He made his own life miserable._

_4. . . 3. . .2. . .1. . . CLICK!_

_This is the happiest day of his life. The day when he realized how special Ryoma is to him. The day when he realized that it is really possible to love someone whom you considered as an enemy at first. It is really possible to have a change of heart. And it was certainly for the best._

"_Neh Ryoma. . ."_

"_Hn?"_

"_Thank You."_

"_For what?"_

"_For pulling me out of the dark. For showing me the light that was just being overshadowed by the darkness I had been seeing all this time." He said gratefully._

_Ryoma snorted before tugging the tip of his white fila cap lower. "Mada mada dane Kevin."_

_He smiled. What a wonderful life he has._

Kevin couldn't help but smile at the memory. Giving the precious photograph one last look, he settled it back down on the table and his eyes drifted next to the small clock mounted on the wall of his room.

"Hmmm, it's already late. . . I better go and grab something to eat," he grumbled, standing up and exiting his room. He headed directly to the cafeteria, finding only a few number of people loitering the area. He went over to the food counter and started looking for his meal. He pushed his tray and began filling it with some food he just handled randomly.

He was already trudging over to the cashier to pay for his meal when his attention once again got caught by the lighted board hanging by the counter. It was the board where the name of the food being sold is written. "Hamburger. . ."

_Kevin grimaced involuntarily when he saw Ryoma wolf down his hamburger. After sipping some of his grape ponta, the young prodigy began unwrapping another hamburger lying on his tray. _

_He gulped. "Ano. . . Ryoma. . . that's already your fourth burger. Are you sure it is safe for you to eat that much burger?" he asked worriedly._

"_Che you sound like Oishi sempa"_

"_But there's so much grease in it. You shouldn't eat that much burger in just one go." I_

_The boy merely raised his brows at him. "Momo sempai and I are used to eating more burgers."_

"_Why do you love eating that stuff anyway?"_

"_I don't know. I just like to eat it."_

He swerved back and called the lady standing a few inches away from the counter. The middle aged lady turned around and smiled at him. **"Can I help you young man?"**

"**Yes. . . Um I'd like to order some hamburger."**

"**Okay. . . how many?"**

"**Eight." **He fidgeted his hands shyly. **"Errr. . . those are for my friend." **He nodded not knowing why he even bothered explaining why he had ordered so many hamburger in just one go.

She nodded before preparing the food. It took several minutes before he finally got his hands on those burgers he had ordered. He walked over to the counter and paid for his purchases looking around to see if somebody else could see him. He was a little conscious because of the amount of food he has in his hand.

"**Thank you for buying. . . Here's your change."**

He immediately grabbed the money from the cashier lady's hands and walked over to the exit in a hurry. But before he could successfully make his leave he unfortunately bumped into someone sending him sprawling down the floor.

"Ooofff!!!," he muttered when his bottom collided against the concrete flooring forcefully.

"**Sorry. . . are you okay?" **the familiar voice asked that kind off startled him for a bit.

He looked up and saw Kazuhiko and Lawrence standing there in front of him. Lawrence had on a worried look as he held out his hand to offer him some support in standing up. He thankfully took hold of the hand and pulled himself up from his position. He dusted off his pants and shirt carefully.

"**Are you okay?" **Lawrence questioned stepping forward as if to check on him for any wound he might have.

He backed away. **"Yeah. . . I'm fine no need to worry."**

"**It seems that you're in a hurry," **Kazuhiko commented.

He laughed nervously. **"N—No. I wasn't." **He denied.

"**Wah Kevin bought so many burgers," **Lawrence said in awe as he peered inside the plastic bags dangling over his hands.

Out of embarrassment, Kevin immediately hid the loaded bag behind him hanging his head low.

"**You have quite a huge appetite Kevin," **Kazuhiko voiced out seriously

He shook his head. **"Um. . . these aren't all for me. I also bought some for Ryo—Ryoma," **he stammered, inwardly cursing himself for doing that.

"**Wahh. . . Kevin is so thoughtful. Captain is so lucky." **Lawrence said with a hint of envy in his voice but he masked it off with a megawatt smile.

"**I'm just worried that he might be skipping his meals, so I kind off bought him some too, since I'm already in the cafeteria anyway."**

"**Well it's nice to know that someone else cares for Captain Ryoma's welfare. He really needs someone to take care of him, no matter how independent he might seem to be." **Kazuhiko grumbled shooting him a knowing look.

"**Hey Lawrence! Kazuhiko! Are you coming or not?!," **The voice yelled effectively catching their attention, their eyes swiveled over to the staircase where the voice might have come from.

"**Yeah we're coming," **Lawrence yelled back to Curtis who was standing by the stairs along with the other American team members. The hotheaded guy had on a scowl that could easily scare off anyone that might have the guts to approach him.

"**Hey Kevin want to come with us? We're going to watch some movie," **Shawn invited.

He shook his head consecutively to show his obvious refusal of the offer. **"No, but thanks for the offer anyway. I need to do something else."**

"**Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" **Lawrence insisted tugging his arms.

"**Yeah. . . go ahead." **He smiled.

"**Okay then. . . see you later." **The energetic gymnastic tennis player bounded off toward the others happily.

Kazuhiko gave him a small nod before sauntering off to the others. His eyes trailed behind the retreating figures until he could no longer see them in his range of sight. Sighing he turned on his heels and walked out toward the cottage being occupied by the young prodigy.

He walked along the dim lighted pebbled pathway in silent reverie kicking the tiny bits of stone that came across his way. His eyes remained glued on his feet as he took one step after another. He could hear the sound of crickets humming around him as he made his way. The cold evening wind breezed past him in harmonious rhythm blowing a few strands of his golden hair out of place.

And then he stopped when he came upon the familiar concrete porch. Peeling his eyes away from the ground he gazed up and stared at the wooden door innocently standing before him. He gulped the small lump that seemingly formed down his throat.

"You can do this Kevin Smith," he told himself as he gathered up all his courage and started knocking on the door. He thumped the door several times more but received no response from the other side. "Where'd they go?" he thought.

The blonde then stepped down and squeezed himself in between the bushes to peer down on the window. He found no movement or any sign that the occupants of the cottage are present inside. For some reason Kevin felt his heart drop in disappointment. Clutching the plastic bags tighter in his hand he started to make his way out of the itchy bushes and stared back at the lone infrastructure. He was about to walk back to his room when he heard a slight rustle and distinct voices from somewhere. He immediately halted down from his tracks and looked around.

He heard some murmuring again. His feet moved to its own accord as he strained his ears to focus on the direction where the faint voices might be coming from. He found himself walking down a dark and cramped up pathway and ended up in a place which looks like a balcony. Frowning he sneaked out his head against the wall to see if someone was in there.

"Ryoma. . ."

Kevin frowned when he heard the familiar voice suddenly spoke up. He moved from his spot careful not to make any sort of noise that would catch their attention. He poked his even more to see more clearly the figures standing there by the said balcony. A smile automatically graced his lips when he saw a not so tall silhouette on the far side being slightly over shadowed by the two taller ones. The familiar white Fila cap was sitting sideways against the mop of hair.

"You said you need to talk to me about something?" The young prodigy asked the two nonchalantly, as he moved around, and plopped himself down the wooden chair next to the railings. The same railing which was right next to the wall where Kevin was hiding.

The blonde clutched his chest nervously as he quickly moved to conceal himself against the wall.

Silence.

As soon as he got himself calm once more, Kevin moved again to take a peek and almost bumped against Ryoma's head when the young prodigy unceremoniously leaned over the railings.

"Oi are you two just going to stand there all night?"

Silence.

"Fine, if you won't talk then I'll go to sleep. I'm tired." He brushed past the duo who where seemingly frozen on their spots.

"Ryoma. . . wait." Yukimura called out after the boy who was already on the verge of completely disappearing back inside the room.

"Nande?"

"Please stay. We need to tell you something important." Atobe added up.

The freshman pivoted down from his position and threw the two captains an impatient look. "You've been telling me that for the past few hours and yet you're both just standing there staring at me like I'm some specimen you are viewing under a microscope. Just spill it out so we can finally get this done and over with." He chortled out hotly.

Kevin couldn't hold back the grimace when the boy had said those words without any trepidation.

Atobe and Yukimura exchanged glances before the Hyotei captain nodded back forcefully.

The sadistic boy from Rikkaidai gave off a deep breath before his eyes focused sternly against the prodigy who didn't bother hiding his irritation. "Well speak up," Ryoma said again.

"Okay. . . but first I want you to promise me something."

"Hell. . . this is just a waste of time. Just talk to me when you're both over with your childishness." Ryoma sneered backing away.

"Oi brat, stop right there," Atobe yelled out but the prodigy continued in walking back inside the bedroom. He saw the alarmed look fleet over the diva's face before he moved over and grasped the prodigy's hands tightly with his own. "Ore sama demands you to stop." He grumbled out authoritatively.

Kevin just watched on the scene with growing interest.

Ryoma looked back and glared at them. "Let go of me Keigo."

"Seiichi was just asking you to promise something. Why are you being so stingy about it?" Keigo shot back at him.

"You don't have the right to make me promise something."

"Why is that so?"

"Because you yourselves don't know how to keep one." He replied darkly which had not only taken aback Yukimura and Atobe, but the hiding Kevin as well. "You broke your promises, and now you guys have the guts to ask that from me."

"Ryoma it's not like that at all." Yukimura cried out.

"You guys left. You left me in the time when I needed you two the most. You bastards left me alone because you guys are freaking scared." The two boys grew more agitated as the minutes passed on, something Kevin could clearly see despite his dark surroundings.

Unbeknowst to him his hands where now tightly clenched, his nails almost digging against his flesh. It took him all his self restraint not to go out there and punch the living daylights out of those two older boys. Though he didn't know the whole story behind their relationship, Ryoma's anguished look was more than enough to make Kevin's blood to reach its boiling point.

"Ryoma, please understand that we did what we think was the right thing to do with the situation given to us."

"Damn it Yukimura don't give me such lame excuses. I'm sick and tired of all the lies you people are giving me. Why don't you just slap the truth right in front of my face? Maybe it wouldn't hurt that much like it is hurting me now." He snarled.

"Do you think it would change anything if we didn't leave you back then? Do you honestly think that you'd still be here with us, standing right in FRONT us, living and breathing." Atobe retorted back sarcastically meeting the icy glare head on.

"Of course it would change something. It would change me."

"Yeah because you could be dead by now. That's why," Atobe huffed.

"Shut up already. I don't know why you keep on telling me that I should be dead by now. You're not some freaking psychic who could predict when I'll die." He snapped.

"Ryoma we didn't mean to leave you. It's just that, we where both so confused to even think of any other way to keep you away from harm back then." Yukimura explained as he wobbly stood beside the enraged diva. "And it was also hard on our part to leave you."

The young prodigy leaned against the wall before he started to laugh dryly. "My life was ripped apart because of you two. Back then I had always believed that you guys would be the ones who would protect me. The people who would be standing by my side when my brother wasn't capable of doing so. I believed in you. I gave you my full trust. But in the end you are just like my brother. You don't care about anything else but yourselves."

Kevin felt his heart wrench in pain as he saw the tears glistening down the young prodigy's cheeks when the moonlight reflected against his face. He was too glued upon the drama unfolding in front for him to even care about the cold wind emanating around him.

"I believed in you."

Yukimura's body wracked slightly as he started to sob. With tears streaming down his eyes, the sadistic boy looked up and moved swiftly to engulf the freshman in a hug.

"Let go of me. . . Let go of me," he yelled clawing and swiping against the captain who was crushing him against his body. He thrashed around to free himself from the un-welcomed show of affection, but the latter didn't budge as he continued holding onto him forcefully.

"Ryo chan please don't push us away like this. Give us a chance to show you how much we care for you. One more chance is what we ask of you. One last chance and that's it." Yukimura begged cradling him shakily.

The bratty tennis player sighed as he looked at the two captains. His movements ceased as he know sat against the Rikkai dai captain's lap in an unresisting manner. Seeing this as a sign of retreat Yukimura relaxed and loosened his hold on the boy. But before he could make any more movements the younger one shot up from his position putting a good amount of distance between the three of them.

"Ryo chan"

He threw them one last look before dashing out of the cottage in a hurry leaving the perturbed boys to gap back at him.

"Maybe we should leave him alone for a while Yukimura. He needs time to think things over," Keigo suggested placing a comforting arm around the crying sadists shoulders in an attempt to pacify him.

"No Atobe, we would settle this once and for all." He said defiantly. "We love him Atobe. We can't just let him to completely turn his back away from us." He stood up from his crouching position before grabbing the diva's wrist and dragged him out of the cottage to follow the freshman.

As soon as he heard the doors shut close, Kevin finally released the heavy breath he had unknowingly been holding back all this time. His knees wobbled unsteadily that made him reach out to lean along the walls to support him self. He suddenly felt weak and helpless for no apparent reason.

Fright gripped his heart agonizingly as he looked skyward to stop the tears that are threatening to fall down from his eyes. "Accept it Kevin you're already too late. He hadn't been yours in the first place, and he would never be. Not now not ever. You are already on the loosing end from the start anyway."

* * *

Ryoma blindly ran along the pebbled pathway without having any specific place to go. All he has in mind is that he needs to get away. Far, far away. He wanted to escape. He doesn't want to feel the pain anymore. He had been there already, had already learned to feel numb about the whole thing. But he couldn't understand why they had to refresh everything. Couldn't they just be contented with what they have right now? Is it so much for him to ask? 

So many questions are running through his head right now? But he was too afraid to ask. He was afraid to know what their answers would be. Yes, he Echizen Ryoma, was afraid.

He was too caught up in his own little world that he didn't even bother moving away and shield himself from the heavy rain that had started pouring down from the sky. He just continued making his escape, letting the cold rain water to drench and soak his fragile and petite body. Thunder boomed mightily against the dark sky, soon followed by lightning etching them selves into the sky in an intimidating manner. The wind blew harsher knocking against his body every now and then.

"Ittai!," he yelped when he suddenly tripped against a rock making him tumble down the ground all of a sudden. Mud splattered against his clothes and body. He winced, clutching his knee that had scraped against the rough surface of the pathway.

"Ryoma!"

"Shit," he cursed under his breath as he forced himself up, intending to make a run for it once again. But to his disappointment before he could even make another step the two captain's where already standing by his side

"Are you okay?" Yukimura cooed back at him while checking on his bleeding wound.

Angrily, he swatted away his hands and stepped away from them. _'Ryoma run! Don't let yourself get hurt again!' _He bit his lips harshly to stop himself from crying yet again. He was the bratty and cold freshman for crying out loud. He wasn't supposed to cry just because of this kind of crap. It should take more to make him cry.

"Just leave me alone."

"No we won't." Yukimura murmured sternly.

He looked away. "Why do guys love hurting me? Isn't it enough that you had hurt me in the past?"

"We don't want to see you like that Ryoma. We don't want to see you hurting like that."

"Then why are you coming back into my life again? Can't you just leave everything the way they are?" He questioned helplessly.

"We love you Ryoma. . . We want to be with you."

It took him a whole few minutes before words finally sunk in. His eyes visibly widened like saucers.

"Ore sama and Seiichi loves you, that is why we can't leave you just like you want us to."

"_Ryoma do you love us too?"_

"_Are you willing to be with the two of us?"_

"_Ryoma. . . "_

"_Ryoma. . . "_

"No you're kidding right??," Ryoma laughed maniacally, shaking his head unbelievably.

"No we're not." Yukimura yelled advancing toward him.

"_All right. . . fine. . . I love you too."_

Ryoma painfully clutched his head as distinct voices started to ring against his ear. White flashes of memory kept appearing in front of his eyes. He backed away as the pain grew more intense as the minutes passed on. He even felt like he would just collapse anytime soon if this flashes won't stop appearing.

"_We won't leave you Ryoma."_

"_We promise to make you happy."_

"_We will protect you. . . . "_

"_. . . . from harm."_

"How could you say that? You can't possibly love me. That's insane. That's fucking insane. We're all boys. And then you even want the three of us to hook up. You guys are nuts." He cried out squirming away as he continued holding his head.

"We love you and that's the truth. Our gender here is clearly out of the question."

"You should even be grateful that ore sama would choose you to be his lover." Atobe remarked haughtily.

"Shut up monkey king!"

"Ryoma we won't hurt you, so don't be afraid to show us how you really feel about us."

'_How I really feel,'_ he thought.

"You love us too, but you're too blinded by your anger to even notice it. Let go of the past Ryoma."

"You don't know anything so don't act like you know exactly how I feel."

Atobe's eyes narrowed back at him dangerously. "You think you're the only one who was miserable all this time? You think Yukimura wasn't hurting when he was fighting against his disease without even having anyone of us to stand by his side? You think ore sama wasn't hurting when I saw you after so many years and had been acting so coldly toward me?" He sneered back in a quivering voice. "You just don't know how much it hurts to be around you but we can't actually show you how much we really care about you. And not to be able to hold you in our arms, even though you're only an arms length away from us."

"Keigo that's enough," Yukimura admonished him but the diva didn't budge as he continued giving his litany to the stricken boy standing in front of them.

"You're the one who's thinking only about yourself and how miserable you had been all this time. You are the one who is selfish. Not us!"

Ryoma who was seemingly frozen down on his spot slowly tumbled down and sat back on the muddy ground in a daze. He couldn't hold it back anymore. Right then and there. . . Ryoma cried.

* * *

The tensai sighed as he looked out of the window forlornly. Watching as the rain continued pouring down from the sky. He had woken up a while ago feeling extremely worried for a reason that still remains unknown to him. The idea of Ryoma being hurt came to his mind and the mere thought made his blood boil. He paced around the room before he finally settled down against the small wooden chair and just stared out of the window helplessly. 

Blue eyes flickered away when he heard the sound of the bedroom door being opened and then closed back once again. Soon, a familiar set of footsteps resounded before the figure emerged from the direction of the doorway.

"Fuji, I see you're awake. Here, I brought you some food to eat." Tezuka informed while pulling out the meal he had taken along with him from inside a medium sized paper bag.

"Thanks," he murmured halfheartedly before turning back his attention in the glass window beside him.

He could literally feel Tezuka's questioning look pinning him against his back. "Is there something wrong Fuji?"

"None."

"You look bothered. Is it something I can help you with?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine, I was just thinking about some thing that's all." He laughed forcefully jumping down from his seat and walked over to Tezuka.

The stoic captain just stared at him for a while, looking wary and unsure if the tensai's lame excuse.

"Hmmm. . . let's see what you bought for me," Fuji murmured as he inspected the small container.

"It's about Echizen. Am I right?"

Fuji's hands froze, enough evidence to conclude that Tezuka's hunches where correct.

"I'm sure it's nothing Tezuka. I was just feeling a little worried when I woke up and the thought of Ryoma being in distress just popped into my head. But I'm sure he's doing fine." He shrugged taking the food away with him as he sat back on the chair he was occupying earlier.

Tezuka noted Fuji's lack of formality when addressing to the young prodigy but he just let the topic slide off not wanting to make a big issue out of it. "By the way Ryuzaki sensei had announced something important."

"What is it?" he asked off handedly while starting to eat his food.

"The whole Japanese team would be leaving the day after tomorrow."

The tensai looked up at the captain in confusion. "Leaving?" he breathed out. "What do you mean leaving?"

"After the final line up is announced tomorrow, we would be preparing for our in trip in the U.S."

His brows furrowed together. "Wait, I don't understand what you're talking about."

"What I am trying to say is that all of us would be going to the U.S. even though not all would be included in the line up."

The sadistic boys eyes snapped open, a deep set of emotions swirling beneath those piercing blue orbs. Tezuka could see the undeniable joy being mirrored in those eyes of his. "We're going to the United States," he said wistfully his lips finally cracking up into a smile. It was like life had suddenly seeped back into the boy.

"Yeah," he nodded. "You're finally going to see Echizen." He added bitterly.

Fuji smiled serenely as he looked out of the window with a dreamy look on his face. Tezuka couldn't help but feel confused and angry at the same time. _'Fuji is Echizen really that important to you?' _he thought.

* * *

Atobe Satoru felt like his head would suddenly explode from all the head aches he was feeling, these past few days. Dark circles could be seen form beneath the haggard looking Atobe patriarch's eyes. His usually sleek and poised signature suit where now all crumpled and disarrayed since he had been up all night trying to sort out everything regarding Atobe company's current status report. He sluggishly flipped through the documents scattered messily on top of his desk. 

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Come in."

He gently massaged his temples as he waited for the visitor to make his presence known to him.

"President the results had been delivered."

He looked up his and saw Hachiro Agawa, the companies marketing vice president standing before him. A small transparent folder was being held out by him. Gulping, he took hold of the piece of material before laying it in front of him. "You may go."

"Hai," he bowed respectively before walking out of the door.

As soon as the man was completely out of his sight, he started to open the flap and read its contents.

"Oh God," he said in shock as he examined the things listed against the papers in full detail.

"A total of thirty percent of Atobe Empire's stocks had been transferred to his name already. And sooner or later a reshuffle in the company's management would be put into order." He felt his surroundings begin to swirl around him as he leaned back against his chair weakly. "This can't be happening," he muttered in shock.

* * *

Yukimura and Atobe exchanged worried looks as they watched the freshman sit silently on the ground. His cries had finally ceased and no more words came out from the young man's lips, making the two captains slightly agitated and a little frustrated for his lack of response. 

The rain had finally stopped pouring down on them.

"I'm sorry."

Yukimura gasped a little when the prodigy spoke up out of the blue. "Ryoma. . ." he said in bewilderment.

"I'm sorry for being so narrow minded. For blaming you for everything bad that has happened to me. I just don't want to feel so miserable anymore. I don't want to wake one day and just find out that had left me again."

Atobe felt like his heart would just burst out from his chest at any moment because of the overwhelming happiness he was feeling right now.

"Does this mean that you'd accept us?"

"I don't want to feel alone anymore." He confessed.

"We'll be here beside you from now on." They both assured the freshman.

"Please keep your promise this time."

"We will keep it Ryoma. . . we will."

* * *

_The young boy cheerfully swung himself higher against the metal swings loving the feel of the cold wind fanning against his face when he moves up. He gave out a giggle as he pushed himself higher, stretching his hands as if in an attempt to touch the fluffy white clouds spread across the clear blue sky. _

"_Neko chan!!!" another voice squealed out of nowhere startling the boy in the swing. His hand had accidentally slipped away from the metal handles that had sent him flying through the air. Thankfully he had landed upon a heap of grass that was trimmed down from the lawn so he was left unhurt. _

_He sneezed and coughed as he pushed himself up from the itchy material he was lying on._

"_Neh are you okay?" the other boy asked as he kneeled down beside him to check up on his friends condition._

"_What where you thinking appearing just like that?"_

_The boy scratched his head shyly before barking out a small laughter. "Sorry I was just so excited"_

"_About what?" he questioned while dusting his clothes clean._

_He watched as the boy reached out for something inside the pocket of his shorts and held it out in front of him._

"_What are those?" he said raising his brows while looking at the necklaces dangling on the boys hands._

"_This is the symbol of our friendship." He placed one on his palm while he wore the other around his neck. "It is our link to one another."_

"_You're cheesy you know that." The boy said dryly but wore his necklace nonetheless._

"_Now we can never be separated anymore." He grinned before hugging the boy fiercely. _

* * *

"Hope you can remember me sooner. . . because I don't know if I could hold on much longer" the voice mumbled out sadly as the figure disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

**A/N **And that concludes part two. Hmmm. I dunno if this part made any sense at all. I think it turned out really crappy in the end. But oh well I hope you guys still liked it. Oh and before I forget I am holding out something special for everyone of you. You can suggest one scene you'd like to see in the future chappies. Take it as my gift for you, a token of my appreciation for your unwavering support. 

Hmmm and another idea I came up with is that I am planning to make a story which I could co write with another PoT writer. But as of now I am still thinking about it.

THANK YOU EVERYONE

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW

No FLAMES please


	13. Retracing Footsteps

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, language, slight angst**

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers:** apocadelic, DemonGirl13, RuByMoOn17, alaine, FlyingShadow666, dichan, c00kiesNm1lk, forgotten hyoshi, Cheska, slyswn28283, ColorlessAngel, eiarim.miraie, mandarin'peel

**A/N** Wow the 19 pages long and a 9 thousand word update is finally finished. . . after the long wait the end has finally come. . . The last chapter of Will of the Heart. I hope everyone has enjoyed the story so far. Thanks to all of you who had reviewed this story.

Just a simple note in the first half which mainly consists of Keigo's dream sequence, Keigo was witnessing the events that ahs happened to him in the past. So there would be two Keigo's, the present one and the younger Keigo.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Hope You'd Enjoy Reading. . . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Thirteen**

_**Retracing Footsteps**_

* * *

_His whole body felt cold and light as if he was freely floating in mid air. He could feel the light stir of the chilling wind gently caressing his porcelain like and unmarred skin as it blew against his body back and forth. Keigo kept his eyes closed as he let the undeniable feeling forming down the pit of his stomach to wash him by like a struggle less leaf being flooded away by the rapid waters. As calm and noiseless his surroundings were, the thundering noise he was feeling deep within himself was deafening. It rang against his ears, and felt like his erratically beating heart would sooner or later burst out from his chest and fall down the ground. Fear, sadness, agitation and a whole lot more feelings are being mixed up into one big whirlwind of confusing emotions._

_He had never felt so alone. He knew, without even seeing it with his own two eyes that no one was there. He was all by himself in this cold and abandoned darkness. His ears strained over the sound of the hollow echoes of his even breathing. He never wanted to have his eyes open anymore because he knew that it would be just as useless as having them closed. _

_Suddenly, he felt like he was falling. Being dragged down into a deep abyss, to a vortex of no return. Fright gripped the young heir's heart as he spiraled toward this world of endless darkness. He allowed himself to be pulled away, mindless of whatever might happen to him at the end of all this. He closed his eyes, and immersed himself in the chilling silence. The whooshing sound stroked his ears as he continued on his free fall._

"_Che Monkey King," the arrogant remark which was all too familiar to the diva was heard, out of nowhere._

"_Ora Keigo, get a hold of yourself." Another voice, this time much softer but laced with a hint of threat wafted through his ears._

_Keigo's lips twitched a little, his finely arched brows furrowed together as he started responding to these calls. _

"_Keigo. . . "_

"_Monkey king. . ."_

_As if he was finally able to break away from a spell casted upon him, the diva's body trembled. His fingers tightly fisted together clenched and unclenched. His eyelids almost seemed like it would be flicking open anytime soon. From his tightly bitten lips, two names where uttered. Each name was spoken with love and . . . despair. His hands outstretched beside him his whole body, numb and helpless. _

"_Ryoma. . . Seiichi." _

_He screamed and flailed his arms to whatever direction he could, desperately trying to grasp __onto something that would save him from any unknown danger that was threatening to bane his existence. For the first time in his life, the Atobe Keigo is powerless. _

_Blag!_

"_Ahhh!!!," an estranged scream erupted from against his dried up throat. _

_He fell down with a sickening thud, the impact he made against the cold ground almost knocked away his consciousness. He let the bitching pain spreading across his back to subside. When the overwhelming sensation finally mellowed down Keigo sighed in exhaustion. He weakly opened his eyes. Things were still a little hazy, that it took him several more blinks for him to regain his normal vision. Once everything finally cleared up, the Hyotei captain found himself staring back at himself. He twitched a little, a gesture which was replicated by the image he was seeing. He tried reaching out and came in contact with the shiny surface of a mirror which immediately shattered into millions of pieces when his finger touched it._

_He shut his eyelids close once more to shield himself from the dust like specks left by the disintegrated mirror. The noise it made screeched around that made him to involuntarily grit his teeth. The noise finally died down and the deafening silence resurfaced once more._

_When he opened his eyes once again, he was already standing up his feet floating against still waters. His surroundings were devoid of life as it was completely covered in darkness. He outstretched his arms once again only to be left backing away when a sudden gush of bright light burst in front of him. He shielded both his arms against his face to protect himself._

_He let his arms covering his face to fall back down on his sides when the blinding light finally subsided._

_Now he found himself standing in the middle of a large and luxurious looking hospital room. In fact you wouldn't even notice that it is a hospital room because of the vibrant colors painted against the four walled room. Even the chandelier was also considered as something too extraordinary to have in a place like this. On the bedside table sat a big vase full of freshly picked roses neatly arranged into one big lump accentuated by other varieties of flowers. Right in the middle of the large suite was a medium sized hospital bed. Gulping back, he took several nimble steps forward until he had reached the bedside._

_He stared at the pale and fragile form of the renowned Seigaku freshman lying against those white sheets. His head was protectively cushioned against the white fluffy pillows, while a white sheet was neatly draped against him self. Several tubes and apparatus can be found connected on different parts of his body. _

"_Ryoma. . ."_

_He reached out to touch the boys' cheeks but his hand just went through the boy like his hand was only made of air._

_The Hyotei Captain continued staring at the younger boys' immovable body, as he lay there peacefully and serenely. His dark locks splayed over the white pillow case, delicately framing his face. Despite the rather unpleasant situation, Atobe saw the boys lips slightly curve up into a smile._

_He reached out to try and brush away the tresses that fell against the prodigy's face but just like before his hand just when past him. He looked away with a bitter look in his face. His knuckles were almost turning white as he balled his fist tightly. _

"_Damn it," he cursed, feeling angry and frustrated about his current incapability to lend some comfort to the boy in front of him._

_He wasn't one to pity himself no matter what the situation is, but being powerless made him feel so utterly useless._

_The Hyotei Captain was somehow feeling quite spooked about the whole idea. He stared at his hands with disdain but found it quite solid. But the difference is when he tried to grasp something, he found out that the simple deed alone is impossible for him to do. It was like his body would turn into vapor or something intangible since his hands just goes through those things he tried to hold on to._

_His eyes widened at an unbelievable rate as he thought of himself being a ghost or just a supernatural individual._

"_Snap out of it," he mentally berated himself thinking that he was just over reacting on the situation at hand. But somehow he was questioning himself about the possibilities that he might really be a ghost. He shook his head and gave out a dry laughter. 'Great, now not only am I useless, I'm also turning into a lunatic.'_

_The diva continued wallowing in silence until he heard a faint creaking noise. He patiently waited for the door to completely open and reveal the new arrival. His senses were on high alert as the door was slowly pushed open. A small trail of light squeezed itself between the partitions. The shadow of the person standing on the other side of the room could be traced as it was illuminated on the laminated wooden flooring._

_Keigo anxiously nibbled the side of his lips, his palms where now starting to moisten from perspiration and beads of sweat one by one rolled down the side of his forehead. He gulped several times somehow trying to lessen the coldness he was feeling. The door creaked again and clicked back in place after it was pushed close._

_The Hyotei captain inevitably shivered in his place upon seeing the face of the person who had been haunting his nightmares and had caused the rotten situation he is in right now. The person he had been loathing, and despising so gravely._

_Fury burned in his eyes as he watched the un-welcomed visitor walked across the room. His eyes were apathetic and cold, a killing aura emanated around him. The diva trembled in suppressed rage as the man stood beside the bed and stared after Ryoma._

"_I've actually treated you as my own son Ryoma," he whispered while pushing away the fallen locks that carelessly draped against the sleeping boys face. "Too bad everything has to end this way."_

_The warmth in his eyes dissipated. His hand gently caressing the prodigy's cheeks fell down and landed on top of the large pillow. A smirk marred his pale and dry lips as he pulled the said pillow away from Ryoma's head. His hand grabbed onto each end as he moved nearer towards the boy._

_The large fluffy material was poised directly in front of the sleeping boys face. He lowered his hand until it, the pillow, was firmly planted across his targets face. He started to apply force as he pressed it harder in an attempt to suffocate and cut off the boys air supply._

_Keigo watched with horror and disgust as the man continued on his murderous deed. Ryoma's unconscious form reacted violently as his body slowly rose from his position on the bed._

"_Stop!!!," he yelled and dove forward to try and stop him. But he just landed straight to the floor._

"_Just sleep Ryoma, so you won't feel the pain. . . . Everything's going to end right here." He laughed sardonically. "It. . . . would . . . .end. . . .right. . . . here."_

_The door flew open revealing two rather enraged looking boys. Yukimura and Atobe, who just looked a little younger probably around the age when they were still in grade school and were still wearing their white tennis regular jerseys, burst inside the room in a haste._

_Their eyes automatically drifted off towards the blood curling scene._

"_Bastard!!!," roared Keigo as he lunged towards the surprised man. "I'm going to kill you."_

"_Let him go!!," Seiichi seconded as he tried prying off the older mans' hand away from the pillow he was holding. "Stop it!!!."_

"_I'm going to kill this boy," he said with a mad look in his face as he gripped the material tighter._

"_No. . . stop it," Seiichi mumbled out in a pleading manner as he watched with a painful pang in his chest as his best friend get closer to deaths edge._

"_Don't worry I'm just making things easier for him. If he dies today, he wouldn't have to suffer anymore."_

"_No let him go."_

"_Damn you. . . . Evil Bastard" Keigo yelled back. "No wonder everyone in the family hates you, because you're nothing but a scheming and greedy bastard."_

_SLAP! BLAG!_

_Keigo watched in horror as he looked at his younger version fly back and hit the wall with full force after receiving one big slap in the cheek from the mentally deranged man. The impact emanated around the room. _

"_You don't know anything brat so shut your trap hole and scram. You un-grateful little devil. You're just like your devil of a father. You stole everything that belongs to me," he snarled before kicking the gray haired boy who was still disoriented from his fall._

"_Please stop it. . ." Seiichi pleaded again, holding the man's arms tightly but he didn't budge as he continued kicking the helpless and fallen boy._

"_You want to die with him huh," the man laughed hollowly. "Then I'll show you the way you damn brat. I'll show you the gate to hell."_

_The young Keigo's lips twisted up into a small smile. Blood dripped down the side of his lips as he gave the man a smirk full of mockery. "Dad was right. You are hopeless."_

"_Shut up brat!"_

_KICK! _

"_Go on kick me until you're satisfied. Because that is the only thing you can do. Go on a petty brawl just because that's the amount of intelligence you have. A pea sized brain that sees nothing else other than money and power."_

_KICK!_

"_You don't know how to have a fair fight. Because all you know is how to cheat on other people. Taking advantage of people who are lower than you."_

"_STOP IT!!!"_

_He was about to get kicked again when the door was roughly shoved open and the medical staff started pouring in. But before they could even start manhandling the man, he was already out of the door and had escaped._

"_Come on Seiichi!!!," Keigo yelled out as he weakly pushed himself up from his slumping position. He dragged the boy in his hands and ran after the culprit._

_The Hyotei captain just watched the commotion happening in front of him. The medical team tried reviving the air deprived patient. As soon as his condition has been stabilized again, he walked out of the room where a bright blob of light had engulfed him once more._

_Once the light had finally subsided, he slowly brought down his arms to once again see where he was. The hospital was no more as he found himself standing across a large highway road. There were lamp posts steadily planted along the sides of the asphalted road illuminating the way with a dimmed ounce of light. Numerous cars and other vehicles zoomed about on either side of the two way road. Aside from the roaring sounds of the engines running, Keigo could faintly hear the sounds of thunder and occasional sparks of lighting could be seen. It was raining and yet the water pouring heavily down from the sky just went past him. _

_Memories seem to flash in his mind as the scenery he was seeing before him became more and more familiar._

"_Keigo!!. . . Matte yo"_

_His back stiffened as he caught trail of his name being called by someone who seemed familiar to him. Keigo felt the churning feeling within his stomach as he fisted his hands tightly._

_He heard loud screeching noises and the sound of something crashing and colliding against something solid. He was just about to look back when a figure dashed across from him and disappeared on the other side of the road. _

"_Keigo!!!. . ." the agonized voice called out once more, this time with a more horrified tone. "Oh my—"_

_The diva gulped the lump that seemingly formed down his throat. "Seiichi," he mumbled out. Thoughts about the figure he had spotted earlier was long gone as he tried to focus his attention back at his friend._

"_Onegai. . . Keigo. . . Hang on. . ."_

_His eyes gleamed with courage and determination. His heart pounded rapidly against his chest as anticipation overflowed within. He immediately turned to look back towards the direction where he had heard the voice that was yelling out his name. Regret, that is what he felt the minute he was finally able to lay his eyes on the Rikkaidai captain. He regretted ever looking back. He regretted the fact that he was easily overcame by fear. Regret, that he had been too weak. _

_His eyes, which were already almost as wide as saucers, never wavered away from his friend. His mouth was agape, hanging open from shock._

"_What the—" he grumbled out in bewilderment as he found the familiar form of the Rikkaidai captain, slumping in the middle of the road while cradling a bloodied body in his lap. The diva felt his insides freeze when he saw the face of the body being cradled against the boys lap. It was him. The younger Atobe Keigo._

_Blood was seen splattered all over the road. A few inches away from them was the debris of the six wheeler truck that crashed and hit the boys' poor body before it slammed against one of the lamp posts in the strees._

_He could see the red fluid soaking the sadistic boys white shirt. His whole body was trembling as he clutched against the unconscious body like he was holding onto dear life itself. The sadistic streaked boy was bawling his eyes out as he tried shaking the hell out of the unconscious and seemingly lifeless body before him. His voice was now raspy from all the crying and yelling he had been doing._

_The diva didn't move, as he was completely frozen in his spot. The sirens of an oncoming ambulance was heard but he made no attempt or sign of moving. Even if it was to try and comfort the hysterical boy or to slap himself awake from this horrible nightmare. Well the first option wasn't necessary since he was invisible to the boys eyes. He saw a vehicle skidded to halt a few meters away from them. The doors flung open and four white clad men jumped out and rushed towards the gory scene._

_Two of these men took hold of the hysterical Yukimura who kept on pushing and nailing them away, while the other two assisted each other in lifting the bloodied patient onto the stretcher and wheeled back the body inside the ambulance._

_Atobe felt like his heart was being torn, shredded into millions of tiny pieces as he watched his friend shed tears in his eyes. He looked paler and thinner than when he had last seen the boy. There were dark circles under his eyes clearly saying that he had been lacking sleep for quite a while now. _

"_Keigo!!!!!" He yelled once more._

_Once the stretcher was safely installed inside the ambulance the two medical staffs turned their attention towards the enraged boy trapped against their companion's arms. One pulled out a syringe from a small kit while the others held the boy steadily. After injecting the whole contents of the syringe into the boy's arms, his struggles started to weaken until his eyes drooped down and finally closed. He too was carried inside the ambulance before it finally rushed away._

_The diva was then shaken out from his trance when the ambulance was finally out of sight. The scene dissolved back into nothingness as things seemed to undergo a sudden transition. All he could see were dashing lines and blurred images surrounding him. When the dizzying motion stopped, he found himself staring back at himself in front of a mirror. He moved and the body also moved along with him._

"_What the hell is this? Did I just enter the body of my younger self?" he thought while he inspected himself. But before he could think further a knock resounded inside the large room. "Obocchama. . . Young master Ryoma is here." The Butler called out from behind the door. _

_His mind seemed to have turned into auto pilot as his deed, words and such was done without him even willing it to happen. And he was more than aware of the sickening feeling boiling in him. For this was the very same feeling he had had during that time 3 years ago. _

"_A past I could not escape no matter what I do." His face turned sour as he bowed his head down. His fingers fiddled against each other nervously on top of his lap. "Come in." he yelled back automatically._

_The door creaked open and the sound of footsteps followed as the visitor started walking along the expensive wooden flooring of the room. The young heir stayed immobile in his position as he waited for the said visitor. He could feel the boys' rapid approach that made his heart, to beat more erratically inside his chest. _

'_Say something Keigo' he told himself as his grip on the handle of his chair tightened._

_He sighed several times, trying to relax himself from all the tension that was building up inside him. "What brought you here Ryoma?" he managed to voice out coldly. He felt thankful that he didn't stutter while muttering those words._

_Keigo felt the surprised reaction made by the younger boy as he immediately skidded to a halt right behind the large arm chair that was covering him from the latter's view. "Ano. . . It's been days since I was discharged from the hospital and I wasn't able to see you even though when I was still having my recovery in the hospital. So I just thought off dropping by to check up on your condition." He explained sounding a little confused._

"_You shouldn't have bothered doing so," he grumbled out coolly. _

"_Is something wrong?"_

"_Nandemonai."_

"_Seiichi's been trying to contact you for days and he wasn't able to get through you no matter what he does." He pointed out in concern while he was starting to walk nearer toward him._

_His lips twitched. "Don't come near me."_

"_Keigo—"_

"_Just. . . . just go Ryoma." He muttered out weakly waving his hand in dismissal._

"_I don't understand. Why are you being such a baka monkey king."_

"_Don't you get it. I don't to want to see you or Seiichi anymore. So leave me alone," he snapped fisting his hand on the arms of his wheeled chair where he was sitting at._

"_Kei-Keigo. . ."_

"_Get out of my sight Ryoma."_

"_Huh?"_

"_I said get out!! Go away!!."_

"_No! Not until you tell me what is going on here," he noted stubbornly._

"_I'm going back to Japan Ryoma. So it's better to bid farewell now, than to suffer any longer."_

"_That's it. That's your lame excuse for treating me like this. Us like this?" He said in an incredulous tone. "And you're leaving for what reason?"_

"_Because I feel like it." He bit back his tongue trying to suppress himself from contradicting his own statement._

"_Bastard, is that all we mean to you. You can't even give us a proper explanation. You're just hiding in this blasted cave of yours and now you're telling me you're leaving without even telling us. And then it would be a fucking surprise, surprise for us."_

"_It's not my responsibility to tell you everything. You're just my friends."_

"_Yeah that's we're all to you. Just your friends." He replied bitterly._

_Keigo wanted to kick himself for being the person to give Ryoma this kind of pain, when he was also the very same person who swore to protect the boy. But it seems that those words he had uttered where just meant to remain as words alone. A promise he bowed to fulfill but ended up breaking it. And he knew that he would always live to regret this decision he made._

_It was the best choice he has in this kind of tight situation the three of them are in. He was also doing them a big favor. He wouldn't want to pass onto them the burden of having to take care of an invalid and useless person like him. He was no longer the same Keigo they knew and loved. He's nothing._

_This Atobe Keigo cannot play tennis anymore. He cannot achieve his dream of being the best out there in the courts. His legs are nothing anymore_

"_I'm sorry Ryoma but I'm going back to Japan." He responded with a hollow voice._

_The boy didn't retort back so Keigo guessed that the boy already left. He looked up and saw his companions reflection on the large mirror mounted against the wall. He had his back on him and his shoulders were rigid. It might have been a shock to the young prodigy. Keigo shook his head and pounded onto his mind that he was doing this because it is the best choice. And he can't undo the events any longer._

_With that thought in mind he left. His presence may have left the room but his heart remained holding onto the one person he had cherished and loved besides Seiichi. _

_RYOMA ECHIZEN. . . _

Atobe groaned out and shifted his head to the other side when he felt something cold brushing past against his cheek. He snuggled against his arm to find a much more comfortable position and go back to his peaceful slumber. Once he was finally settled down, a few moments passed by before he felt someone tapping, or rather, shaking him violently against the shoulders.

"Go away," he snapped pushing away the pestering person trying to bug him off from his peaceful sleep.

"Oi Keigo, wake up its time for Ryomas' match."

His back stiffened before consciousness finally drifted back on him. Slowly he opened his eyes and met with someone else's own curious face shamelessly peering down on him. If he wasn't one who has a strong heart, he would have died from heart attack right then and there.

"Ryoma what the hell—" he cursed as he shot up from his seat.

The young prodigy snorted and tapped his racket against his shoulders. "Che."

He narrowed his eyes at the boy but didn't comment on things any further. He wandered his eyes around to remember where he is. He felt relieved when he saw the familiar main building of the McGaizer camp. A few meters away from them, are the outdoor tennis courts where two players are currently walking out of the gates.

"What happened to me?" he said, gently massaging his temples to stifle the oncoming head ache.

Ryoma smirked at him. "Baka monkey King sleeping in the middle of a match. . . Heh, that's something new."

"Oi ore sama would not tolerate such rash attitude from you." He grumbled out at him hotly and involuntarily cringed when a fresh wave of pain shot through his head. "Stupid headaches."

"Ah Ryo chan stop provoking him already." Yukimura shushed the young prodigy and gave him a small pat in the head.

The prodigy just glared at the Rikkaidai captain from under his hat.

"Che," he groused out dryly and glanced towards the courts when someone yelled out his name.

They saw Lawrence waving his hands up in the air while bouncing energetically. **"Captain Ryoma, your match would be starting already."**

"**Alright," **he yelled back before he turned to look at his two companions. "I am heading out first. Go there after monkey King here is fine. Ja ne." Then he took off leaving the two behind.

Keigo's eyes trailed off after the boy before he caught sight of a certain blonde haired boy who was leaning over the trunk of a tree planted a few meters away from the courts. His eyes were glued upon the same freshman regular before he gained eye contact with the gray haired Hyotei Captain. He noticed the sad and forlorn glint in the boys usually gleaming blue orbs, sparkling with unrestrained happiness.

A bitter smile was plastered upon his lips as he nodded at the diva, took one last look at the prodigy who was already getting ready to serve before he about faced and walked away.

"Keigo are you listening to me?"

Keigo snapped out of his trance and glanced at the Rikkaidai captain who was in turn looking at him questioningly. "You were saying?" he mumbled off handedly.

Yukimura shook his head in frustration and folded his arms across his chest. "Are you alright Keigo? You seem a little off today."

He looked away. "Yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking about so many things that's all."

"You really got us worried back there. You just collapsed all of a sudden while you're in the middle of a match. And you kept on mumbling something while you were asleep."

"I didn't get enough sleep last night and maybe because of too much stress."

"Keigo—" Yukimura looked at him worriedly.

He sighed and patted his shoulders comfortingly. "Don't worry I'm fine." And then he walked away.

'I don't want to burden you anymore. I need to face the past I had created by myself.' He thought to himself as he disappeared back in the camp's main office.

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

_Several Hours Ago (Narita Airport)_

The area was unusually rowdy today as the tennis players from various schools all around Japan gathered up inside the airport. Today is their departure day for New York. The day everyone else had been waiting for. Each one had different reasons for anticipating this once in a lifetime opportunity that was passed on their hands. Some were merely looking forward to the day they would be able to walk along the big apple's grounds, or the anticipation for the upcoming matches in the UJF Cup.

Everyone where unusually cheerful and energetic as they all huddled up and mingled with one another regardless of their competitive rivalries with each school. For today they were one team who would be taking one leap forward to bring victory and glory to their home country. This game wasn't for them or their schools alone. This time it was all for Japan and for the Japanese people.

"Nande Mamushi afraid of planes," Momoshiro retorted sarcastically as he glanced at the viper hissing on one corner, and looked as pale as a ghost.

"Baka. . .wh—why would I be scared of that monstrous thing?" he stuttered out and stomped away, leaving Momoshiro who was already having a laughing fit at Kaidoh's expense.

"Have some Juice Kaidoh it would make you feel much better," Inui blocked the viper's way and held out a large glass of his renowned concoction.

"I-Inui Senpai. . "Kaidoh's face turned green at the sight of the horrifying drink being offered to him. It was of a purple color with bubbles bursting on top that made the drink look even more skin crawling.

"It's the Inui Silver Power five zero zero. Here try it." He said and pushed the glass of bubbling goo towards the pale Seigaku player.

"Hmm Sadaharu it seems that you're still perfecting your concoctions," Renji Yanagi of Rikkaidai commented as he went up towards the data master of Seigaku.

"Aa." The two started talking about the data's they had managed to collect and everyone else surrounding them was ignored. Kaidoh took that as a good chance to slowly drift away.

"Nya Oishi. I'm so excited. We're finally going to see Ochibi," yelled Eiji happily while tugging his doubles partners' shirt in giddiness.

"Sou da ne Eiji,"he laughed. "I hope Echizen's been eating right and had been drinking the recommended amount of milk Inui had advised him to have."

Everyone sweat dropped as the Seigaku mother hen started muttering his motherly speech about Seigaku's most precious freshman's welfare again.

"Ano, Yuuta kun it looks like your older brother Fuji Syuusuke is also one of those who had been greatly anticipating this trip." Mizuki nudged the boy standing beside him while he twirled his hair against his fingers, laughing sheepishly in the process. "As expected from my destined rival. Such incomparable passion he has for this tournament."

"Ano Mizuki san I think you are wrong. It might not be tennis that's making him look so eager about this whole thing." Yuuta slapped his forehead in frustration and shrugged. "Aniki's been acting like that since yesterday evening. He kept on babbling about how he misses Echizen and that he can't wait to see him again." He shivered.

The St. Rudoplh manager smirked. "Hmmm, Echizen kun huh. Interesting."

"Oi Jiroh wake up already," Gakuto yelled at his sleeping team mates ear. The renowned Hyotei sleeping beauty was peacefully dozing off on one of the chairs found in the airports lobby.

"Tsk, and I was always wondering how a sleepyhead like him got into the regulars." Hiyoshi said under his breath while looking at the said boy.

"Oi Hiyoshi stop being so arrogant," Shishido berated the gekokujyou player.

"Who's the arrogant one here?" he answered back hotly and glared at the latter.

Shishido's brow twitched in annoyance and was about wipe out that annoying smirk off of Hiyoshi's face when Ohtori stepped in between the scene. "Please don't fight here Shishido san."

"Keh, you're always being so nice to others Choutaroh." He commented with disdain.

"It's not right to fight with others Shishido san," he replied.

"You're lucky. Next time learn how to show respect to your seniors because I would definitely not let you get off the hook that easily when you become all too high and mighty again," Shishido grumbled out before walking away with Choutaroh following right behind him.

"Nah Kabaji wake Jiroh up," Oshitari ordered and pushed the bridge off his glasses up his nose.

"Usu." With one hand the bulky Hyotei regular lifted the sleeping boy in the air.

"Wha. . . oi. Let me down," Jiroh panicked and tried to squirmed away.

BLAG!

"Ittai," the sleepy head whined rubbing his sore butt after he was forcefully shoved back onto the ground when the large player let go of him.

"Sheesh, why do we have to be in the same plane with these losers? Tsk," Kirihara muttered arrogantly while looking at the other players with disappointment.

"Kirihara," Sanada grunted the boys name authoritatively as he above towered him.

"Hai." He sighed, placed his arms at the back of his head and shut up.

"Alright everyone gather up." Ryuzaki sensei called out to every one's attention and began clapping her hands several times.

All commotions between the noisy tennis players ceased and focused their undivided attention to the Seigaku coach.

"The plane would be leaving in fifteen minutes so we all better head to the gates or we might miss our flight." She shouted out.

"Hai," they said in unison and began gathering up their things.

"Neh Tezuka don't you think Fuji looks so eager about this trip?" Eiji elbowed the Seigaku Captain while they were walking along the hallway. The Seigaku tensai was walking ahead of all the groups and he seems to be off in a trance. His lips were curved up into a mega watt smile that could easily melt any woman or even a man that could see it. His eyes were gleaming with joy and un-relented anticipation. Something which didn't go unnoticed to all the players, most especially to Tezuka.

"Aa," he answered monotonously eyes trailing behind his boyfriends back.

Everyone where chattering amongst themselves noisily as they started boarding the plane and settled back onto their designated seats. Tezuka slouched against his chair and flipped open his book. He briefly glanced over Fuji who was un-talkative to him the whole time and saw the tensai fiddling with something between his fingers. He squinted his eyes and hoped to get a better look at that object.

He saw light reflect against the said object hanging against the boys' neck and knew at once that it was a necklace. It was the very same necklace he saw him wearing a year ago. It actually puzzled him a lot as to why Fuji stopped wearing the said necklace during their third year when it seems that the boy seemed too fond of it.

"I see that you're wearing your necklace again Fuji," he couldn't help but comment to the boy.

Fuji glanced back at him and smiled. "Yeah, because I intend to bring back the memories that I had enclosed in this necklace. I would be rekindling the lost link."

He frowned and was about to make another passive comment but the boy already turned his back on him and settled in looking out of the window. Tezuka sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Somehow he knew that things would be undergoing a rather drastic change. Things wouldn't be the same again when they arrive in New York. And Tezuka himself don't know if it would be for the better or for the worst. Either way, he was wishing that somehow whatever the outcome would be, less people would end up getting hurt.

And no matter how painful it would be on his part, he was wishing to finally unravel the mystery that was Fuji Syuusuke. An enigma he couldn't quite comprehend no matter how hard he tried to. Because when he thinks he already knew the boy he starts unraveling another mystery. It was like the boy was a living box of mysteries himself.

But this time he intends to completely un-wrap him, to finally put an end to all these charades.

* * *

Kevin sighed to himself as he leaned against his hand and looked out to the moving scenery outside the window of the bus he was currently on board. He sighed for the umpteenth time earning an irritated nudge from his seatmate Kazuhiko. The boy snapped his laptop shut and re arranged his glasses before turning to look at Kevin. It seems that he had disrupted the boys' concentration because of the insistent noises he's been making during the trip. 

Camp is finally over and they are now all heading back to their respective houses. The UJF Cup isn't going to be in at least a week and the coaches had been kind enough to give this few days as a relaxation period. For them to retune their physically and emotionally drained bodies. Too much had happened during the camp so they thought it would just be right to let these tennis players to rest for a while. It wouldn't be beneficial and advantageous on their part if they let these players to just go in battle at a state like this.

"**Sorry if I'm being such a bother to you Kazuhiko,"** he mumbled out in apology down casting his eyes in shame.

"You have to tell someone about your problem sooner or later. It's not healthy to keep every thing all to yourself." He said in perfect Japanese while staring at the boy unabashedly.

"It's rather complicated so it's best not to divulge the topic any longer." He said in a resigned tone.

Kazuhiko shrugged and settled back onto his chair while reopening his laptop on top of his lap. "Love is not that complicated if you ask me. It is man who makes the idea rather. . . how should I say it. . . such a bothersome thing. We are the ones who are exaggerating such a simple concept."

"Because it is." He argued back.

"If you told him about your feelings earlier then you wouldn't have to wallow in self pity and regret." He pushed again his glasses that slid down the bridge of his nose.

"It's easy for you to say. You'd be saying otherwise when you're in my shoes."

"I certainly doubt that."

"And why is that so?" he huffed narrowing his eyes at the boy.

Kazuhiko looked at him from the corner of his eyes and shrugged. "Well I confessed to Captain when we were still in Herrington. But I got turned down."

"Wha—" he looked at Ryoma who was sitting on the left side of the bus with Yukimura who kept on talking about something while the prodigy seemed like he was already on the verge of falling asleep. "You mean you—"he pointed one shaking finger towards the serious looking boy, more than perturbed by the shocking revelation.

"I confessed and naturally I got an answer. I was just unfortunate not to get the answer I wanted. It wasn't such a big deal you know, me being turned down by him, since everyone in school already knew that he already has someone special in his life." He said in a matter of fact tone.

"**You like boys. You—You're gay," **he screamed in horror that easily caught everyone else's attention. He automatically bit his lips and sat back down.

"Why? You got a problem with that?" Kazuhiko asked with a raised brow, unfazed that the blonde loud mouthed brat had practically broadcasted to everyone else about his sexual preference.

"I—Iie," he stuttered and turned beet red.

"You like Captain Ryoma so I guess that also makes you gay." He smirked, eyes gleaming with triumph.

"Oi me liking a guy doesn't make me gay." He snapped and squeezed himself further in his seat feeling awkward by the situation.

"Hmmm. . . whatever you say Kevin." He surrendered while giving a firm shake of the head. The genius immersed himself back into whatever he was doing in his laptop a while ago but Kevin could see the smile hinting on the boys pursed lips. How he could smile without even lifting a corner of his lips made him wonder. Kevin continued staring at the boy without him even noticing it. "You need to ask me something Kevin?" the boy said out the blue looking up from his work once more.

He automatically looked away from the boy, feeling the heat rushing up to his cheeks. "Iie."

Kazuhiko smiled knowingly at him. "It might be worth the try Kevin kun."

"Huh?" he knotted his brows in confusion.

"Just be sure that you would stop yapping and yapping about useless things."

Kevin felt like a vein pop in his fore head. "What the hell are you talking about?" He said restraining his anger from bursting out in the open.

"What I'm trying to say is that, okay I'll be your boyfriend."

"Baka!!," he sputtered out feeling like he was just punched in the gut. His mouth was hanging open from shock. Eyes widening like a saucers.

Suddenly Kazuhiko laughed loudly. Kevin just stared at him eyes widening in confusion and bewilderment.

"It was a joke Kevin," he managed to chortle out in between his laughter.

Before he knew it, Kevin was also laughing along with him. Everyone just looked at them weirdly as the two laughed things off.

"See, it's nice to laugh like this every once in a while. Heart breaks doesn't mean the end of the world but rather it is a fresh start for you to live your life anew. Just laugh and before you know it you'd be as good as new. There are problems that are better off to be laughed at than to be too serious about it." He stated. "Because if you keep on thinking about it then it would be harder for you to forget and move on."

"Yeah I guess you're right," he smiled. "Arigatou Kazuhiko."

"Don't mention it." He returned the gesture with a smile of his own.

The blonde bundle of energy felt more at ease now. It was like the heavy burden he was carrying against his shoulders had already been lifted away. Though his heart still aches and yearns out because of unrequited love, he is now able to wish Ryoma good luck and hope that he would be able to maintain that happiness forever.

He wasn't regretting how things turned out in the end. He may have lost Ryoma in the battle of hearts, well technically speaking there wasn't really any fight in the first place since he did not make his feelings known. He is thankful that he still has Ryoma as a best friend. And he intends to keep that friendship forever.

He looked at the renowned genius of Herrington. Normally he would just see this boy sporting a rather menacing and serious looking façade which he always maintains intact no matter what the situation is. That's why Kevin thought that he was someone who is hard to get along with because of his seemingly aloof attitude. He did not know Kazuhiko that well since he only knew the boy as a silent and very serious kid who, not only has the talent for tennis, but also loves to fiddle with some technological gizmos.

But after this sudden turn of events he finally realized that Kazuhiko is just another guy who is capable of feeling for himself and for other people. Somehow he was happy that it was Kazuhiko who he had managed to talk to. He was finally able to see the boy in a new light. He wasn't just the boy with intellect but also someone who can be compassionate and understanding, most of all humorous when the situation requires him too.

It just goes to show that no matter how one person may appear to be like on the outside you would never really know the person that he is unless you give the time and effort to get to know him.

"But I wouldn't mind posing as your boyfriend if you want to. I'm quite an open person to this type of settings you know." He said in a suggestive tone with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Baka."

"Mada mada dane Kevin," he said grabbing the Seigaku freshman's tag line with a grin.

He placed his hands upon his face imitating Atobe's stance whenever he does the insight. "Ore sama no bigi ni yoi na."

"Oi annoying American boy that line is copyrighted you know. I can sue you if I want to," the diva grunted out from behind the seat being occupied by Ryoma and Yukimura.

Kazuhiko and him exchanged looks and laughed again.

* * *

New York's airport lobby was unusually noisy today as the large group of tennis players, who had gathered up from different schools in Japan for the UJF Cup, huddled along the vicinity. Loud chattering emanated around the said troupe. Some were just staying in one place preferably sitting along one of the chairs while the others had already dispersed to hound and ogle around. 

"Nya! Oishi look, look," Eiji muttered in excitement, latching himself onto his doubles partner as he started jumping around. "Wahh! Sugoi. . . Neh Momo," he beamed towards the power player who was also at awe because of the new environment they are in.

"Hai Eiji Senpai," he nodded vigorously as he literally plastered his face on the large glass window, eyes widening in childish fascination.

"Fssshhh. . . "Kaidoh hissed apathetically before he stomped away and forcefully plopped himself down on the vacant seat beside the Seigaku data man. "Fssshhhhh. . ."

Inui, who was currently busying himself by scribbling something non-stop on his trusty notebook, looked up to the hissing boy. "Is there a problem nah Kaidoh?" he asked the latter.

"Fssshhhh. . ." he hissed and then he looked away.

The data man raised his brows at the response or the lack thereof. He just shrugged in dismissal before he refocused himself again in his writing task.

"Sengoku senpai the view here is wonderful desu. . . . I just wish that Akutsu senpai could have been here with the rest of the team and see this wonderful sight desu," Dan Taichi murmured sadly.

"Don't worry he'll probably see this sometime in the near future," he smiled and patted the boys shoulder.

"Hai desu."

"So this is how New York looks like. It feels wonderful to be finally here. It makes me feel so nostalgic. So the UJF Cup is drawing nearer. I wonder if the other teams are worthy opponents. Are they also good rivals? I'm wondering if there would be any players that would be as good as Tachibana san. Too bad buchou wasn't able to make it to the regular line-up. It would have been a great privilege on our team's part. And Echizen kun would also be participating as a part of the American team's side right? I think it would be a difficult match if he's the opponent. Echizen kun is such a stubborn and competitive player. Too bad I can't fight him again. I think having Hyotei and Rikkaidai's captain join forces, would result in a blood shed. I wonder what's taking our ride too long to arrive here? Maybe the matches had been cancelled," Shinji once again began with his ceaseless mumbling and Kamio sweat dropped.

"Shinji. . ." Tachibana admonished from behind the two.

"Hai," his mouth then snapped shut.

Shishido who excused himself a while ago came waltzing back with a small sized plastic bag dangling on one of his hands. He pulled out something from it and shoved it towards his doubles partner who looked upon it questioningly.

"Shishido Senpai. . ."

"You might be hungry, so I thought of buying you some food too. Well since I'm already buying some for myself." He said sounding a little too defensive before he looked away and sat beside the boy. He could faintly hear the snickering of their team mates lurking around them.

"Arigatou Shishido senpai," he said gratefully.

He pulled away the tab of his drink and shrugged. "Don't mention it."

The boy looked at the neatly wrapped burger in his hand before he carefully began un-wrapping it. "What could be taking our bus too long to arrive here?" he wondered aloud after swallowing the chunk of burger he had chewed off.

"Saa. . . ." the bull capped boy said off handedly.

"Hmmm. . . What do we have here?" Gakuto teased while slinging his arm around Shishido in a mock threatening way. "I never knew you had it in you Shishido." He laughed teasingly.

"Shut up." He scoffed. The boy sound pissed off with the acrobatics player grinning at him mischievously.

"Hehe no need to be shy now Shishido." He smirked.

"It took you longer to realize your true feelings than I could have ever imagined. I never knew you are this dense Shishido," Oshitari who was leaning against one of the concrete pillars commented lewdly.

"Argh. . . Oshitari what the hell are you—"

"Please don't fight with them Shishido senpai. . ." Chotaroh muttered, grabbing the hem of his doubles partners' shirt to stop him from hitting the other boy.

Sometimes Shishido wonders to himself how the heck was he able to hit it off with the boy as his doubles partner. They were poles apart. The boy was certainly a peace loving person while he was hot headed most of the time. Maybe because of the fact that opposites do attract. "Chota—" Before he could even utter another word, Ryuzaki sensei and the other coaches reappeared from the other side of the airport.

"Sorry for the long wait everyone," the Seigaku coach muttered out as everyone began gathering around the coaches.

"Ano Ryuzaki sensei what seems to be the problem?" Oishi asked from behind the group.

"Sou da ne . . we had been waiting here for already an hour sensei," Eiji agreed.

"I'm afraid that there was some kind of mix ups regarding the bus and hotel reservations."

"What do you mean sensei?" Sanada's authoritative voice called out.

Hanamura sensei spoke up next. "The dates that were logged in the reservations list aren't until next week."

"Ehhh!!!!" everyone yelled in unison.

Worried comments soon followed.

"Settle down everyone," Sakaki sensei grumbled out and everyone silenced at that.

"Sensei does this mean that we wouldn't have any place to stay?" Tachibana asked.

"No. You don't have to worry about it any longer. We were able to pull in some strings and found us a place to stay in for the whole duration of the matches." Hanamura sensei informed.

"Actually they're already here," Ryuzaki sensei smiled and looked out at the direction opposite from them and found three familiar people walking in on the airports entrance.

* * *

"Sheesh monkey king will you ask the chauffeur to drive faster. We're taking too long you know," Ryoma mumbled out exasperatedly as he let himself fall back on the limo's soft seat. 

Yukimura chuckled and patted his head. The Rikkaidai captain wasn't squeezing himself in between the little argument of the two boys and just made him self content by running his hand along the silky strands of hair of the Seigaku freshman.

"Ore sama personally instructed him to drive this slow. We're in no hurry."

"WE ARE IN A HURRY," the young prodigy gritted his teeth.

"Ore sama would only be doing them a favor so let them wait." He said airily while flicking his hair into place.

"Egoistic bastard." He hissed.

"You saying something brat," he asked innocently peering down at the boy from his compact mirror.

"Betsuni," he said obviously pissed off and pulled the brim of his cap lower down his face.

He caught Seiichi's warning look and he sighed before pushing the small button stuck on his side of the limousine door to lower the glass separating their part of the limo from the driver's. **"Please drive faster."**

"**Okay Sir."**

In less than a few minutes, at last they were finally able to arrive at their target destination. The two tennis players were still left bickering with one another even though they were already entering the airport doors. They were mindless of the attention they were attracting because of their little barb exchange. Meanwhile Yukimura just followed them behind with a wistful smile on his face.

They immediately spotted the Japanese team representatives standing on the other side of the airport since they were really recognizable. Not only because of their large number but also for the boisterous noises they were making as the trio continued approaching them.

* * *

Everything went along so fast. Pleasantries, how are you's and such were exchanged between each one of them But all noises ceased when something else had caught their attention. A scene that piqued their interests gravely. 

There. . . not too far away from them is a scene that might just happen in a once in blue moon time.

Fuji Syuusuke was hugging the Seigaku freshman. . . Echizen Ryoma.

The players exchanged looks questioningly. Whispers were murmured out in confusion.

The Seigaku players gulped and looked at Fuji and Tezuka back and forth. They could literally feel the dark aura of the renowned Seigaku captain spiking as the minutes passed on and the tensai still wasn't letting go of their kouhai. Everyone was puzzled because of this little display. And from the looks of it even the Seigaku freshman was also perturbed by the tensai's affectionate gesture.

* * *

The last thing Ryoma could remember was him exchanging pleasantries with his senpai's and him being tackled into a bear hug by his Kikumaru senpai and Momo Senpai. He then suddenly felt someone pull him into a bone crushing hug. He was at ease thinking that it was just his Kikumaru senpai giving him another one of those deadly glomps. But when he looked up from the body of the person who was hugging him, he was shocked. 

It wasn't Kikumaru or even Momoshiro who was hugging him. It was none other than the Seigaku Tensai. Fuji Syuusuke.

He saw the questioning looks being made by the others. Keigo and Seiichi had a bewildered and murderous look on their faces. While Tezuka. who was standing on the sidelines, was shooting off a deadly aura that made the prodigy shiver in place. He could swear that the bespectacled boy was glaring daggers at him when they gained a brief eye contact.

"Fu—Fuji Senpai. . ." his voice drifted off to a whisper as he cringed back at his boyfriends distorted looks.

He felt the arms enclosing him, tighten around his body. "I'm back, Echizen Ryoma." He whispered seriously against his ear.

* * *

The dark figure standing behind the concrete pillar smirked as he watched the scene unfolding in front of him with interest. A devious smile began forming down his lips as he gave them one last look and disappeared into the crowd of people. 

"Let the games begin. . ."

**

* * *

**

**A/N** . . . .and that's it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter everyone. Just like what I have said in the first A/N of this installment this is the last chappie, for Will of the Heart's first arc okay. The second arc would now be starting off in Chapter fourteen. Hehe. . I'm so evil. . .

Anyways, my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who had been supporting me all throughout. . .

Reviews would be very much appreciated so please leave one after reading this . . . .No flames

Arigatou minna san and see you again. . . .


	14. Arc Two: An Eye For an Eye

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, Evil Fuji, Twisted Storyline**

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers and Many thanks to: **DemonGirl13, ColorlessAngel, 1xmocha, mandarin'peel, RuByMoOn17, forgotten hyoshi, Empress Satori, Ria Sakazaki, apocadelic, setsuko teshiba, abhorsen3, Lolita-mist and Dichan

**A/N** Here yah go everyone the first chapter for Will of the Hearts second arc. . . I hope you'd enjoy it as much as you enjoyed the first arc of the story. Basically I'm trying to finish three chapters a day but I guess I'm only human. I can't accomplish such a sky high objective with just a snap of my fingers. Too much work needs to be done and yet it feels like a day isn't even enough to finish one.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Hope You'd Enjoy Reading. . . .

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

_**Arc Two: An Eye for an Eye**_

* * *

Ryoma involuntarily shivered in discomfort. One, because he was currently trapped against the fragile yet deadly hug of one Fuji Syuusuke. Two, because he could literally feel the electrifying glare boring down through his pale skin, courtesy of one angry yet composed Tezuka Kunimitsu. And lastly, Yukimura and Atobe we're now both beet red, most probably because of jealousy and shock. If this was some other case, he would have laughed right then and there seeing the situation as something worthy to be laughed at. But he wisely kept his lips tightly pursed together not giving any sign of reaction at all.

He tried pushing away the arms that was currently snaking against his back but found his efforts futile as the tensai just tightened his hold on him. Sighing in frustration he let his hands fall down and rest against his hips, evading the different looks being cast onto them by the equally perturbed Japanese tennis players.

"Fu-Fuji Senpai," he started in rather meekly trying his best to catch the boys' attention thinking that the latter was seemingly lost in his own world of thoughts.

The arms that was wounded around his lithe frame moved again just to tighten its hold. Ryoma nearly coughed out when he felt like breathing is such a strenuous thing to do considering that he can't really accommodate taking in that much air since he was currently pressed against the body of another person. He felt like he was suffocating as his breath came in short gasps for air.

Fuji's hair gently brushed against the side of his cheeks as he slowly leaned down towards him. His squirming stopped. His breath got caught in his throat and his heart beat seemingly raced faster against his rib cage. He could feel the warm breath of the sadistic tensai fanning against his ear and his eyes automatically shifted towards his boyfriends direction and immediately regretted doing so. The two now sported a look of fury and were now reeking a killing aura as Atobe looked like he's all ready to march up to them, maul Fuji away and then finally rip the tensai into small pieces.

"I'm back . . . . Echizen Ryoma," he whispered against his ear.

He froze as white flashes began appearing right before his eyes. His molten gold like orbs were staring right ahead of him but he couldn't see anything other than the white light slowly growing in size. His eyes dilated as he felt like he had been engulfed in that strange light. His body grew rigid until finally he couldn't feel anything anymore. The light in his eyes dissipated into nothingness as he stood there like a robot.

_Golden cat like eyes flickered open. The sight of green pastures and crystal like clear blue seas greeted his line of vision. Birds flew about the still waters flapping their big feathery wings as they ascend higher and higher towards the sky. The warm sunrays peered through the puffy white clouds and reflected along the neat bed of grass billowing slightly against the slow rhythm of the wind._

_The grass made small creaking noises as his feet inch by inch moved. Mindless of where he was going, he kept on walking along the grassy path, eyes soaring across the wide and vast land surrounding him. As he stopped and stood by the nerve wracking cliff, hanging at an amazing height above the blanket of blue water from below, he heard laughter ringing from not so far away. _

_His eyes flickered back towards the direction where he thought he heard those voices. A few minutes had passed before he saw two small figures running from downhill. Their ages don't seem to differ that much from the way how the two looked like. They were both wearing identical clothes which he could have guessed as their school uniforms._

_He felt like heaven had just crashed down on him when he finally saw the faces of the said kids coming towards his direction. His mouth was left hanging open from disbelief._

"_What the—" he didn't even find the courage to continue whatever he was saying for he was literally at loss for words._

"_Come on Syuu-chan hurry up or we'll miss the sun set." The smaller boy with a mop of black hair tinged with emerald motioned for the other boy to quicken his pace._

_The brunette boy with the smiling face nodded in response as he struggled to stay behind his hyperactive companion. "Ryoma be careful," he said cautiously while eyeing his friend when the latter tripped against a rock._

_The boy didn't seem to be the least fazed of what had happened as he instantly bolted back up and rearranged his disarrayed clothing. "Daijoubu." He grinned and placed his little hands against his hips. "Hurry up Fuji."_

"_Alright! Alright!" The brunette responded yet again this time steadily standing on his own two feet. He dusted off his crumpled shirt before walking towards the trail taken by his friend who was already way up ahead of him._

_Ryoma who was already seemingly rooted down in his spot, shivered as cold air brushed against his skin when the younger version of him dashed across from him. The boys' body turned white and poofed into smoke. He felt like some strong aura was pulling him from inside his body. He fisted his hands and closed his eyes shut. When he opened them yet again he found himself in the eyes of a young Echizen Ryoma._

_His mind was working, yes. Carefully calculating and analyzing the strange things that he's currently involved in. He tried to move but he could not and felt like he was trapped. Trapped inside the body of a kid. No matter what he does, simply cannot be done. He's in a cage he could never escape. He just closed his eyes allowing himself to be pushed on the side and let everything just happen in its own accord. There's nothing he can do anyway so he might as well just go with the flow._

_Through the eyes of his younger self, Ryoma managed to witness everything that was happening around him. The scene played on like a movie. The whole thing was too surreal for Ryoma's liking yet somehow he felt from the bottom of his heart that this is something that had happened in his past. A piece of the incomplete puzzle he had long been trying to put together. Though he had lived the last three years of his life like he used to, he knew that something else was missing. He just couldn't quite place his fingers on what it was. _

_But just recently from what had been happening around him, he wasn't that dumb not to notice that many of these have a connection to that certain something that was left incomprehensible for him. He felt an intense inclination that in just a matter of time he would finally be able to glue back the pieces. And somehow it scares him. Really scares him._

"_Sugoi!!!," The younger looking one exclaimed in childish fascination as he watched the slowly setting sun. It's warm orange rays piercing and surging forth one last time before it was swallowed away and disappeared from the horizon. It was now time for the moon to give its magnificent shine. "I wish Syuusuke and I would be able to watch the sunset more often," he murmured down casting his eyes, his dusty sneaker clad shoes fiddled against the grass. _

_He mentally examined the younger version of the tensai standing beside his also younger self with curiosity. He never realized that the sadistic regular of Seigaku had a certain connection with him during his childhood. Maybe that is why he felt rather awkward and somehow weird when the guy is near him. He definitely knew him from somewhere. And it intrigued him to bits. _

_He was startled out from his musings when he felt a warm pair of hands brushing against his arm. He abruptly looked back and knew that it belonged to the boy who was currently the focus of his thoughts. _

"_Fuji—" the name automatically escaped from his lips without him being able to think twice._

_His hand latched against his arm slowly slid down and landed against his palms giving it a firm yet affection squeeze. _

_The baffled prodigy blankly stared at him, golden eyes blinking back with innocence. _

"_I will never break my promise Ryoma."_

_He smirked. "Yeah I've heard you say that a million times already."_

"_And you better keep that in mind."_

"_Hai." He nodded and grinned once more._

_He felt Fuji move beside him before a pair of delicately chiseled arms wrapped around his slender neck. The heat radiating from the latter's body was comforting to his senses that it made him to shamelessly snuggle back and sigh in contentment. _

"_Forever."_

_A small smile appeared on his lips as he closed his eyes and let the endless darkness succumb him into its widespread wings._

Ryoma's eyelids scrunched up a little as consciousness finally drifted back on him. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking it several times to rid off the haziness in them. The sight of a black velvety ceiling had greeted him as soon as he had finally cleared up his unsteady vision.

"Nya! Oishi. . . look. . . look. . Ochibi's finally waking up."

Ryoma cringed and clutched his aching temples when the boisterous yelling made by his hyperactive Kikumaru senpai wafted through his ears and almost broke his ear drums. Oishi seemed to have taken notice of his reaction towards his doubles partners' noisy remark as he immediately shushed the acrobatics player.

"Eiji lower down your voice."

"Gomen ne Oishi," he apologized in a whisper.

He yawned widely and rubbed his eyes. He could feel his surroundings slightly shaking and moving, so he clearly guessed that they were currently inside Atobe's limousine considering the posh interior of the said vehicle. The huge Atobe family crest resting upon the ceiling was more than enough give away for him to be able to determine where he is.

He looked sideways and felt like his head was resting against something hard. He glanced upwards and saw Yukimura's smiling face towering above him with that usual smile plastered widely upon his lips. He was using Yukimura's legs as his pillow.

"Good to see you're awake now Ryoma," he said with genuine concern, moving the strands of stray hair that was splayed against his cheeks.

"Oi brat are you alright in there?" came Atobe's arrogant remark but Ryoma knew better. That despite his rather rude way of speaking certain things he knew that he was also worried about the young prodigy's welfare.

"Yeah, no need to get so hyped up Monkey King," he mocked before pushing himself up into a proper sitting position with Yukimura assisting him like a kid.

Everyone who where with them in the limo, more specifically, Kikumaru, Oishi, Tezuka and Fuji, anticipated the brash reaction of the livid diva from being addressed that way by none other than Echizen himself. But to their surprise the arrogant diva just let the matter slide off and Kikumaru could even swear that he just saw Atobe smile. But it happened in just a split second that he thought it was just a figment of his imagination.

However his calm aura fired back to life when his eyes landed on Fuji who just sat in one corner silently.

"Bastard this is all your fault," he snarled at the tensai, eyes narrowing at a dangerous pace.

The tensai merely threw him a bored look before he stared back outside of the window. "I didn't do anything Atobe. How many times should I tell you that before you believe me?" he sighed and propped his head against the glass.

Tezuka maintained his composure and chose to be apathetic with the whole issue. But those who know him like the back of their hands could see the fury being withheld by the aloof captain. They could read the gesture as the bespectacled boy clenched his hands, the corner of his lips twitching for a split of a second and so many more insinuations that boy was indeed angry.

And Oishi feared for the worst. He had never really seen his best friend loose his cool for the past years that they have been together so he didn't know what else to expect.

"He wouldn't faint if you didn't do something to him." He prodded on gritting his teeth ferociously.

"Maybe he's not feeling well or something." He reasoned out.

"He was perfectly fine from as far as I know. So don't give me such a lame excuse. Tell me what you did to him."

"Think whatever you want to think Atobe. I don't have anything else to say to you."

"Ore sama will not settle for such an answer. How dare you answer ore sama that way. Do you know who—" before the livid diva can make anymore rather arrogant remarks Yukimura was already onto him as the sadistic captain of Rikkaidai fiercely grabbed his arm. "Yukimura what are you. . ." his voice trailed off when he caught sight of the warning look flashing on the boys eyes. He sighed and with undeniable disappointment he dropped himself down on the car seat glaring at the poor glass window relentlessly.

"Sorry for Atobe's irate behavior Fuji," Yukimura apologized.

Fuji shook his head. "I understand Atobe's predicaments Yukimura so you don't need to give me an apology. I know he's worried about Ryoma's welfare that's why he's acting this way."

From his side, Tezuka twitched when he heard Fuji mention Echizen's name without the usual formalities. _'Another strike for Fuji. He's calling Echizen in his name again like he is so close and familiar with him' _he thought while gripping the handle of the door.

"I know you're hiding something Fuji. Don't expect for me to just let things slide off that easily. Ore sama will find out what you are trying to hide sooner or later." He muttered icily and gave him one last glare before he refocused his sight in the road, never speaking a single word to them again.

Fuji almost raised his brows at the comment and it took him quite an amount of self control not to blurt something out. He just shrugged, the corner of his lips turning up into a knowing smile. He looked up just in time to see Ryoma's pair of curious golden orbs shooting him a dubious stare through the mirror. He gave him his infamous red herring smile. The prodigy knotted his brows at him and frowned.

Yukimura must have sensed his seatmates sudden change of mood for he immediately checked up on the boy. "Why are you frowning Ryoma? Are you feeling all right?"

"Ye-yeah I'm fine." He stammered, a small blush creeping up to his cheeks. He even scowled, obviously trying to hide his embarrassment.

The Rikkaidai Captain couldn't help but chuckle when the boy looked away, the redness of his cheeks not escaping the sadistic captains eyes. _'So little Ryoma's blushing'_

Yukimura patted the boys head affectionately and Fuji suppressed a growl in his throat. He felt disgusted with how much affection Yukimura was showing to the boy. He didn't like it. Not even for one bit.

"_I'll get him back. So enjoy it while it lasts Yukimura. . . Atobe." _

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

_Fuji Household_

"Okaasan, Otousan food's ready," Yumiko hollered out from the kitchen while setting the dinner wares in the dining table.

A few minutes had passed before she heard familiar foot steps coming downstairs. Two figures who looked like they were in their early fifties emerged from the arched entryway of the room. They silently trudged their way inside and sat in their specific chairs.

"Did Syuusuke and Yuuta call you?" her mom asked while she was scooping some rice onto her bowl.

Yumiko placed in the last dish onto the table before she sat down with them. "Iie. I think that they wouldn't be calling us this soon. Maybe in a day or two."

"Well I guess you are right. I'm just worried about Yuuta and Syuusuke. Though Yuuta is usually away from us, it's still not the same since he's miles and miles apart from us. And this is the first time that we've been parted from Syuusuke." Mrs. Fuji voiced out her worries and her husband just gave her an understanding pat in the shoulder.

"Don't worry anata. I'm sure Yuuta and Syuusuke are both capable enough to take care of themselves. Besides they're not little kids anymore." He reminded his wife.

"Otousan is right okaasan."

"But still, I couldn't help but worry about Syuusuke. It's been . . . what. . . three years since that incident happened. I don't know how he could manage to cope up with the trauma he has this time around. It's too unbearable to see him like that again." She said on the verge of tearing up.

"Okaasan, it's already the past. I'm sure that Syuusuke has already forgotten about it." She assured.

"I hope you're right Yumiko. . . I hope you are right."

She smiled and hugged her mother tightly. "I'm going up to my room for a while," she said, politely excusing her self and exited the room.

As she walked silently along the carpeted hallway of their small adobe she happened to pass by the small mahogany dresser where all their family's pictures are placed. She halted down her steps and looked at the frames fondly. Memories filled her as she looked at the photos enclosed in the small wooden frames sitting atop it. It's been a while now since she had done this. Time does fly.

Her smile dissipated though when she caught sight of a particular photo that was placed slightly away from all the others. Tears clouded her eyes as she stared at the prone figure captured on the glossy paper. This one is the proof of the once tragic moment their family had to face amidst the stable and unbridled life they were experiencing. For a family like theirs they could say that it is the toughest problem they had to endure.

Pain struck her heart as she traced the contours of the face in the photo she had in her hand. She unconsciously nibbled her lips, trying to stop the tears from falling.

The crooked grin, the smiling eyes. Yes he looked like a very happy boy in midst of his youthful glory. But the paleness of his skin. The tiny blemishes of the scars that would forever be stamped against that skin even if it heals. The darkness below his eyelids. It was quite a disturbing sight for people with sharp eyes. For these where signs that the teen was on the verge of mental collapse. The time when the boy was in his suicidal stage. His eyes have an unholy glint in it showing how tainted his soul had become.

Yumiko shivered upon remembering the horrifying sight she had witnessed with her own two eyes. The bloodied form of her beloved brother lying in a pool of his own blood. Un-even breathing, eyes almost popping out of their sockets. His body looked so thin and powerless. It was a very pitiful sight to see.

From other people's perspective the boy in the photo was nothing out of the ordinary. For those who don't know his brother they would say that it's nothing to be worried sick about. But they weren't just someone else. They were his family. So they understood. The pain. The hatred. The emptiness. The loneliness. They could feel everything. They knew he was broken.

It was all a façade from the very beginning. He was trying to hide everything. And Yumiko could clearly guess that he still does. Up until this very moment. And she doesn't know when his mask would finally break. But she wanted to believe that he has finally moved on.

She doesn't want to see him break again. Because for once, she doesn't know if the heavens would still be so kind to them this time around. She doesn't know if they'd be able to save him again.

"I hope nothing would go wrong this time," she smiled bitterly and settled back the frame on top of the table. With one last look she walked away with a hopeful feeling kept within herself.

Yes hopefully nothing would go wrong this time. . . hopefully. . . everyone would be able to live happily. . . .

* * *

_Atobe Corporation Main Building_

It was a big and out of hand mess. Alas, the whole Atobe corporation was in a complete and total chaos. Rumors about the company land sliding towards bankruptcy were leaked by some unknown source and now it was causing a media frenzy. Almost all known magazine, newspaper, broadsheet or just tabloids, have the issue as a headline. It was also being flashed along the television screens in several news programs. And was being aired on various radio programs. Heck it would be such an impossible feat for one person not to know about the problem considering the massive publicity it is getting. The topic caused quite a stir not only to the business industry but also to the whole Japanese community.

Atobe Corporation being the largest and most successful among the business circle, provides the most number of work to the Japanese populace. And its closure would mean massive unemployment.

A throng of rallying employees had already gathered up outside the building demanding for explanation or just plain threats to ask the big bosses to give them the compensations they so deserve for their 'loyal' services.

"_A mob of people were spotted outside the gates of Atobe corporation. According to the groups' spokesman, they are here to voice out their demands toward the owners. We tried to get in touch with President Atobe Satoru but unfortunately we've only managed to get through his personal assistant. From what he had said to our researcher Kaoru Yamada the company would be releasing its official press statement no later this week. And that is something all of us are looking forward to. This is Kaede Morimoto reporting for News Express."_

Satoru heaved out a sigh as he stood by the large glass window of his large office. Through it, he could see massive amount of people from below gathered in front of the company's headquarters.

A knock then breezed around the room and he had to sigh again while giving his permission to the visitor to enter the room.

"President, here are the reports you requested earlier."

He nodded without even bothering to look at his assistant.

"I'll be taking my leave then president. "

"Wait." He stopped and faced the man who was already standing by the doorway. "Have you heard any news from Keigo?"

"None sir. Young master haven't called yet."

He nodded his head in satisfaction. "Good. Just make sure that the international media most especially those in America wouldn't know what's happening here. Understood?"

"Hai."

"Okay. You may take your leave now," he dismissed and plopped himself down his chair.

'_No matter what happens I'll make sure you won't win this time."_

* * *

In less than an hour the teams had finally arrived in their destination. Almost everyone was excited to know where they would be staying at for the whole duration of the tournaments. Some were extremely excited thinking that they would be staying at a very expensive and luxurious hotel. But upon stepping out of the coaster buses, since they weren't supposed to fit inside Atobe's limo and the rest had to board the buses courtesy of Atobe, they found out that it wasn't an expensive hotel but a rather large mansion.

"Whoa whose place is this?" Momoshiro exclaimed in surprise, not bothering to hide his awe struck expression. He exited the bus with a small leap and hoisted up his large duffel bag against his shoulders with complete ease.

Everyone gathered up in a group and stood before the intimidating piece of structure. No one dared to blink their eyes fearing that this place was merely an illusion for it looked like one of those castles ripped away from the pages of a fairytale book.

The place had a gothic yet modern feel to it. It was painted with an elegant peach colored coating. Intricate designs where to be seen mounted on the concrete walls. A large fountain was situated in the front yard with an angel holding a bow and arrow perched in the middle. Fruit bearing trees and varieties of flowers could be seen surrounding the large lot.

"Come on everyone grab your bags and we'll be going inside," Ryuuzaki sensei clapped her hands to gather everybody's attention.

"Hai," they responded in unison and began picking up their luggage following the coach's lead.

As they walked along the pebbled path way they couldn't help but feel envious of the owner of this house. How lucky can this person get for being blessed to have such envy worth mansion.

But just before they could fully enter the house a blur suddenly flew among the crowd. Some gave out an indignant yelp of surprise as they ducked for cover.

"What the hell was that?" Kirihara snarled, when he fell on his butt and left sprawled down the floor.

"Meow."

Everyone else looked back and saw a furry thing moving against Yukimura's arms.

"Nya. . isn't that Ochibi's cat!" Eiji screamed in excitement and tackled the cat into his own hug.

The cat meowed in response loving the attention she's getting. Her ears coiled as Kikumaru gently rubbed behind her delicate fluffy ears. "Meow." Karupin's head turned around and caught sight of the smiling Yukimura. The cat meowed once again before it pounced its way towards the smiling Rikkaidai captain. Thankfully the boy seemed to have expected the jump, for he gracefully caught the feline against his arms.

"Nya Karupin seems fond of Yukimura," Eiji noted as he looked at the interaction of the two.

"Oi brat it seems that this cat of yours seek Yukimura's company more than yours this past few days. . . . see even the cat can't stand your snarky attitude." Atobe muttered airily and he willingly engaged himself in another intense staring competition with the said freshman.

"Alright break it up you two. . this isn't the time for you to go on squabbling like kids," Ryuuzaki sensei interrupted.

The small commotion proceeded on as the bewildered players, except for Tezuka , Sanada, Tachibana and Fuji, continued on babbling things about the awesomeness of the house. They continued trudging along the pathway with Tezuka keeping a close eye on Fuji since he was feeling that something was deeply amiss with the tensai. He felt the sudden surge of emotions from the other teen when they stopped by the house's front yard.

Those cerulean eyes, as deep and hypnotizing as the deep blue ocean, burned with passion and anxiety. He noticed how his knuckles almost turned white when he clenched his hands And his teeth was constantly nipping the sides of his lips absentmindedly. He watched how his head turned side by side as the tensai examined his surroundings. His smile never faltered.

Watching as the boy walked ahead of him, Tezuka could safely say that his boyfriend was familiar with this place. How he walked with so much confidence as if he knew where he was going to. How he wounded along those curbs and corners without giving much trepidation.

Tezuka was suddenly spiraled out from his musings when someone called upon his name.

"Tezuka. . hey are you listening to me?" came Oishi's worry stricken voice.

He nodded with a seemingly unsure expression in his face for being caught off guard. "Yes I'm fine. No need to worry about me Oishi." He tried to compose himself even for the last minute so the latter wouldn't notice and ask him about his weird out of it behavior. But he guessed that it's just too late for him to do that now. The Seigaku vice captain was just too observant.

"It's about Fuji isn't it Tezuka?" he further prodded on, and Tezuka wanted to curse himself for slipping his mask that way. Oishi is just one of the few people who are able to read him like an open book no matter how hard he tries to hide himself.

"I'm alright Oishi," he sighed and then took off leaving a very worried looking vice captain.

"Neh Oishi, are you alright?" Eiji hung himself against his doubles partners' shoulders and peered through the boys' ashen face.

"Ye-Yes I'm fine." He responded and gave his best friend Tezuka, who was already way ahead of him, one more look before following the rest silently.

The group wordlessly entered the large manor as soon as the wooden front doors were pushed open. Once the entryway was cleared up for them, the sight of servants dressed in uniforms greeted them as they steadily lined themselves up on either side of the red carpet.

No one was able to move from their spot except for Atobe, Yukimura and Echizen who continued waltzing along the way mindless of the wondrous looks the others are giving them. The three coach's went back to the bus a while ago to go to the stadium were the games would be held to coordinate with the event organizers.

Momo shook his head and ran after his kouhai. "Oi Echizen, what are you doing?. . . You can't just go and waltzing in on someone else's house without the owners' permission," he said in a reprimanding tone gripping the boys arms firmly.

"Welcome back Young master Echizen," the maids then bowed down in respect and everyone was once more left speechless.

"Masaka. . . . ." Oishi's voice trailed off.

"Took you long enough to notice senpai tachi," Ryoma smirked arrogantly, crossing his arms against his chest.

"Arrogant brat." Atobe almost snorted at his boyfriends antics. While Yukimura just chuckled in response.

"Echizen kun owns the house! Sugoi!!," Jiroh whooped in excitement as he immediately disappeared to inspect and ogle around.

"Wait Jiroh senpai!," Chotaroh yelled after the sleeping beauty with a sighing Shishido in tow.

The rest of the players from Hyotei couldn't help but shake their heads in amusement "Man that Shishido is so whipped."

* * *

_Her feet anxiously tapped against the marbled floor of the hospital. Her fingers kept on fiddling with each other, small beads of sweat trailed down her forehead. The smell of the hospital assaulted her sensitive nose. The paleness of the surroundings made her more agitated. The gloomy and dreadful aura whipped across her. _

_She inevitably shivered in her chair squeezing herself further in her seat as if she was attempting to just blend against it. _

_She never wanted to step inside this sort of facility because the sense of death and sickness was so strong that she felt like she was suffocating. She never wanted to be here in the first place. Never._

_So what the hell was she doing here anyway?_

_Tears automatically sprang at the corner of her eyes as she recalled what had happened a while ago. The blood. There was blood everywhere. She could hear voices around her but those seemed too distant. _

_Her eyes just widened in fear._

"_Are you the patients' family?"_

_She flinched back to reality and immediately looked in front of her where she saw the doctor handling her brothers case standing there with a grim look in his face. His face was full of concern and there was no hint of smile in his chapped lips. She steered her eyes away for a while before she went back to gain eye contact with the doctor._

"_Yes. I'm his sister. How is he?" she said, voice quivering in dread._

_Just as she thought, the doctors' reaction is what she had been fearing the most. He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and looked at her sternly. "As of now he is stable. But we will continue monitoring his condition for the next twenty four hours to know the extent of damage inflicted upon him. Let's just pray for the best." With that he politely excused himself and walked away._

_As soon as the doors of the emergency room closed, emotions overflowed and overcame her fragile state. _

"_Why should it happen to you??" she whispered desperately and buried her face against her palms while crying her pain out._

* * *

After overcoming the initial shock, well most of them were shocked except for the normally stoic tennis players, the group then proceeded in a tour of the whole mansion.

"This is the gallery," the butler informed them as he motioned for the two maids to open the door of the said room.

"Hoi! Hoi!. . . ." Eiji bounded off inside and inspected the large portraits hanging on the wall. Most of it where individual pictures of the Echizen family: Nanjiroh, Rinko, Ryoga and Ryoma. One is their family picture with the husband and wife sitting in the middle of a large velvet chair. Ryoga was standing beside his father, while a two year old Ryoma was sitting atop his mothers lap.

"Ochibi is so Kawaii ne," Eiji squealed as he stared at Ryoma's portrait were the latter was wearing blue jumpers over a red shirt. His signature white cap was tilted on the side as it sat atop his head and he had a racquet in his hand, though it looked kind off awkward for him to hold one since it was too big for him. His large golden eyes looked so innocent yet determined.

"Echizen kun is kind of cute here. So even though when he was still a kid he's already with a racquet. No wonder he's so good in tennis. He's been training since he was a kid. I wonder how's it like to have a renowned ex professional tennis player to be as his dad. It seems so great. Echizen kun still looks bratty even when he is a child. I wish I was there when he was still at such a young age so I could've played him at an early pace." Shinji mumbled out as he stared at the photo.

"Shinji. . . ." Tachibana admonished and the grumbling player immediately shut up.

"Oi Atobe also has a picture here. Look! Look!" Jiroh announced cheerfully pointing to a particular portrait were Atobe was wearing a princely drab. Probably during a Halloween party since you could see Yukimura and Ryoma wearing some costumes too in the back draft. Yukimura was wearing some shiny and metal looking clothes which basically screams that he's portraying the role of a knight. While a glaring young Ryoma stood farthest away from the camera. He was wearing white shorts, dark green collared shirt, his cap, rubber shoes and a tennis racquet.

"As expected from Echizen kun. He would most probably show up dressed as a tennis player." Kentarou, the Rokkaku Chuu captain, exclaimed.

"Mou that's lame Ochibi. Dressing up as a tennis player. Can't you think of something more creative," Eiji pouted.

"And Atobe dressed up as that is to be expected," Oshitari commented.

The diva smirked from one corner. "Be awed by ore samas elegance unworthy plebeians." He looked at Sanada who was keeping his silence the whole time. "What do you think? Huh Sanada?. Too awed by my ore sama's prowess huh."

The stoic vice captain just raised his brows at the diva and stepped out of the room, leaving a seething diva behind.

"How dare that Sanada ignore ore sama's magnificent prescence."

"Atobe stop exaggerating already," Yukimura ruffled the boys hair and dragged him and Ryoma out of the room.

"Mada mada dane monkey King."

* * *

The smell of cigar spread across the small darkened room as the shadowy figure sitting by the large glass window lighted a cigarette. He clipped it between his teeth and tucked it against his fingers. He gave a few puffs and flicked the ashes over the glass ash tray.

The door then was pushed open but the figure made no move to welcome the new arrival. The unknown figure chuckled and closed the door behind him. He proceeded across the room and occupied the vacant seat.

"I figured you'd be here," he said knowingly as he too got himself a stick of cigar.

He looked at the man at the corner of his eyes and continued smoking. "What do you want?"

"It seems that Satoru is getting squished in a rather messy situation. Ha! Ha!," he laughed. "The situation's starting to go a little too tight back there."

"So you finally decided to stop messing around."

He shrugged. "I guess so. It's fun to see him loose his cool for once. It's not like I get to see this happen to him often."

"You're enjoying this huh."

"More than you could ever think off."

"Just don't get over excited with such simple outcomes. We're not even in the middle of the whole plan yet."

The other man shook his head and leaned boredly against his chair with eyes staring directly at his companion. "I think that you're the one who's getting overworked here."

The boy looked up and raised his brows at him inquisitively. "Me?. . . . What do you mean by that?"

"You know it's better to enjoy things while it's still fresh. We wouldn't have time to make fun of things when we finally have momentum in our hands."

"Meaning?"

"Things are bound to get bloody after this," he smiled maniacally. "We would be too busy crushing those pests so lets be carefree for a while shall we?."

"Whatever."

He chuckled once more. "I can't wait till that time arrives. I can't wait . . . ."

"Ditto."

* * *

The night has finally fallen in place.

After touring the manor for almost half the day, the head mistress finally led them upstairs and showed the rooms where they would be staying at. Some where obviously a little uncertain if they'd all be able to fit in the large house. Granted that it was large in scale, but still they were too many for just one house to be able to accommodate all of them. But to their surprise they all fit in well.

"Your house sure is large Echizen," Marui couldn't help but comment as he dragged his luggage inside the room where he was assigned to stay with Jackal.

"This house was specifically designed to accommodate many people since the whole Herrington tennis team during our time often stays here for vacation or special training practices." Yukimura informed his team mate.

"Well that explains why you have so many tennis courts outside," commented Wakato.

"That's pretty generous of you Echizen," Yuuta said from the door.

"Heh what do we have here. . . . Yuuta kun and I would be rooming along with Tezuka kun and Fuji. Such divine intervention. I am bound to share this room with my destined rival," Mizuki grinned twirling his hair in his finger. He laughed boisterously before he pranced inside the room still laughing.

Fuji shot St. Rudolph's manager a stern look burning holes against the boys back. "It is also my pleasure _Mizuki kun_," the tensai responded sweetly with a saccharine smile on his face.

The Seigaku regulars shivered knowing all too well that there was something dreadful about that smile. And they weren't too thrilled to know what it is the tensai is planning at the back of his twisted mind. This is one of those times when remaining clueless is best. Tezuka who momentarily set his personal problems behind, suddenly felt an onset of a headache.

"Aniki stop smiling like that. It's creeping me out." Yuuta shivered.

"Aa."

Their conversation was then cut short when an old lady with a stout height emerged from downstairs carrying in her hands pieces of blue colored furry blankets. She looked at each of the players before she caught sight of the smiling tensai. She too smiled and headed towards the boy.

"It's been such a long time since I last saw you Syuusuke kun," she greeted the tensai warmly as if she knew him from long time ago.

"It's nice seeing you again too Yuko san," Fuji replied and gave the lady a small pat in the shoulder to show his sincerity.

"Still as polite as ever. You never changed." She laughed.

As the two chatted along with one another they were quite oblivious of the fact that they were currently the object of everyone else's curiosity. The rest had their eyes on the pair like they were some specimen being viewed under the lenses of a microscope.

"Ano. . . gomen nasai," Oishi voiced out all of a sudden seeing that no one else would like to speak up and ask the question that was obviously swimming on everyone else's heads.

"Nande Oishi?" Fuji questioned still not figuring out the confusion he was causing among the rest.

"Do you two by any chance, know each other?"

"I do know him from way way back," the lady smiled in confirmation.

"Well you see I went here when I was still in grade school as a foreign exchange student. And I happen to know Yuko san since I always see her when I'm about to go to school. During that time she would be going to the market to buy some errand. I was living at a small apartment rented by our aunt here in the U.S. It was previously standing a few blocks away from here. But I guess it's already torn down since it's a little shabby and looks too ran down for healthy living." Fuji ranted on with a serene smile on his eyes.

Everyone exchanged puzzled looks. And Tezuka struggled himself between believing such words from his boyfriend. He somehow had a feeling that most of it were just completely fabricated. But as unchanging as the tensai's face is, he couldn't find hints if he was telling the truth or showing a lie.

He glanced at the old lady and saw a seemingly confused look which dissipated when Fuji whispered something against her ear. It irked Tezuka's curiosity and suspicion even more. She handed the blanket towards Fuji and then excused herself.

His eyes trailed off after her and for a moment his sight landed upon Atobe and Yukimura who were now both huddled up near the stair case and were seemingly engaged in a very serious discussion. They were occasionally throwing doubtful and wary glances towards the tensai who was now showering his younger brother with attention.

Echizen on the other hand was already nowhere in sight after he was forcefully dragged to some room by one bouncy Eiji and a sneaky Momoshiro.

He was about to approach the tensai when he felt someone tap his shoulder lightly. He halted down his tracks and looked back just in time to see Yukimura and Atobe standing behind him. Both had on a serious look on their faces and Tezuka resisted the urge to knot his brows at them.

"Tezuka can we borrow Fuji for a little while?" Yukimura questioned him with a dead serious voice that Tezuka knew he couldn't argue with.

"Don't worry Tezuka. Ore sama just needs to interrogate him for a while. You're free to go with him wherever you'd like after we're done with him," Atobe muttered grimly.

Somehow, Tezuka didn't like the way those words sounded.

"Never mind Keigo's words Tezuka. He's just being his usual prissy self so there's no need for you to fret about Fuji's welfare."

"Do you mean such serious business with Fuji?" he couldn't help but ask.

"We just need to clear up certain things with him. There are some things that Keigo and I are quite bothered about and he's the only one who can answer us. I hope you don't mind Tezuka. It's quite confidential so we really can't tell you what it is that's bothering us."

"I understand. Go ahead." He agreed and nodded towards Fuji who was still standing by the doorway. "Yuuta let's get inside. Yukimura and Atobe wishes to talk alone with Syuusuke," he informed the younger boy who obligingly followed him back in the room without question. He even looked relieved to be finally away from the clutches of his sadistic brother.

Fuji's wide smile somehow dropped as soon as the door was closed and the hallway was finally cleared up when the rest got inside their respective rooms.

The tense aura between the three resurfaced as they stood there in silence. The animosity became so thick that it feels like you can cut it with a knife.

"So you need to talk to me about something," Fuji mumbled out in a voice a little louder than a whisper. His back still facing towards them.

"Yes. We just need to ask you something important. I hope you don't mind Fuji," Yukimura answered.

The tensai's shoulder moved as he gave out a sigh. His back stiffened a bit before he finally turned around to face them. His infamous smile was back on his lips.

"What is it that you want to talk about?"

"Not here. Let's talk about it outside," for the first time Atobe didn't spout his usual ore sama dialogues and that meant he's here for some serious business.

Without any more questions, Yukimura and Fuji quietly followed the diva's lead and headed towards the large rose garden outside.

"Do you know Ryoma by any chance Fuji?" Yukimura started giving the question to the calm looking prodigy.

"Yes. He's my kouhai."

"Stop giving us sarcastic remarks Fuji. We're not fooling around here with you," Atobe snapped, pacing back and forth.

Fuji released out a heavy breath before giving each of them a stern look. "I don't know him personally. I am just able to see him a couple of times during my stay here in the U.S. and that's it."

"You're lying and I know it," Atobe sneered once again earning an icy glare, that could throw ore sama's glare to shame, from the said tensai.

"It's your choice. Whether you'd believe me or not. Anyway I have no obligation to tell you everything Atobe." He said coldly.

"Why you—"

"Enough." Yukimura stood up and broke off the two. "Fuji can't you just tell us the truth. If its about Ryoma then we are supposed to know what's happening here."

"Why the hell did you hug Ryoma and you even did that in front of all those people. Don't ever think that ore sama would tolerate such insolence from a plebeian such as yourself Fuji. I don't care if you're Tezuka's lover or whatever you are to him. But I wouldn't let you go and run wild snatching every boy you fancy around here." Atobe shot back hotly, not heeding down towards his boyfriends warning.

"My actions are none of your business Atobe, so quit acting like you're someone superior."

"Then care to explain why you suddenly hugged Ryoma at such a place. And don't deny the fact to ore sama that you are trying to push yourself and grab his attention ever since you arrived here."

Yukimura just kept quiet during the exchange knowing that he had no power to stop the two. It wasn't their fight anymore. It was now between these two. And he's here to neutralize the situation if ever things start to get out of hand.

It was now an eye for an eye situation. Whoever snaps first looses.

"So you're being jealous. You're not even in our team so why bother asking me these things. Whatever it is that connects him and me doesn't concern you Atobe. Just go and bother yourself with what's happening to Hyotei. And leave these things under Seigaku's hands."

"How dare you speak to ore sama that way?"

"I'm speaking the truth Atobe. You are the one who's sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." Fuji said calmly that enraged the diva even more.

His nostrils visibly flared at the no-nonsense comment the tensai gave him.

"And my point is that you're also nothing to Ryoma. You're just his senpai. No more, no less. So what makes you think that you can just corrupt him like what you're trying to do back then."

Fuji laughed at that. "Corrupt?! Ha! Ha! Such a strong word you're using Atobe."

"You're laughing because you cannot think of something to say that would make you look innocent huh Fuji. Yukimura and I are more responsible for him because we are his boyfriends."

The sadistic prodigy of Seigaku smirked mockingly, after he ahd recovered from a momentary shock. "Boyfriends huh?"

"Tell me Fuji, you like Ryoma don't you?"

"So what if I do?" he shot the diva a challenging look.

"Damn you. You already have Tezuka what more do you want? Why can't you stop making our lives difficult? Why do you keep on doing this."

The tensai's eyes sparked dangerously and Yukimura almost felt the hairs on his neck stand as chills ran down his spine. "You are the one who's messing along with somebody else's business. If I don't have any right to my kouhai's welfare and so do you. You being his boyfriend don't make any difference. That is just a name to your joke of a relationship. You're just a figment of his hateful past that should be banished along with it."

Yukimura's eyes widened. _"Does Fuji know something?" _he thought in a panicky voice. His eyes stared at the two back and forth. The defiant stance carried along by the diva evaporated into nothingness as he stared at the tensai in alarm. His face now drained of any lively color.

This is not good.

"Loathful bastard. It hurts huh Atobe. It hurts to know that you are the one who made him suffer. The truth does hurt like a bitch."

His usual smiling eyes were long gone. His eyes were wide open. Hatred and loath were mirrored against those cerulean blue eyes that seemingly pulls in someone else's soul and drown it against those ocean of emotions. Gone was his inviting and friendly aura. The person standing before them didn't even show any trace of his carefree attitude.

Instead, it was like they were standing in front of a very hateful man. It was like he wasn't the Fuji Syuusuke they know, but an entirely different person. The man standing there was giving such a negative aura that could make someone fear for his life.

His pupils are dilated and seemingly disoriented as his eyes flickered to certain directions every now and then. His lips were tightly pursed into an acrid and sinister grin. His aura spiked even more as he stared at the two captains who were now both starting to get very wary of the tensai's threatening state.

From their point of view it was like the tensai was getting ready to kill someone. And it's not such a good sign.

"You—"

He laughed dryly eyes glinting under the pale moonlight. A firefly landed itself against the tensai's pinkish and soft palm. The sadistic boy's eyes glimmered once again before he turned towards the perturbed boys. His lips quirked upwards and his hands enclosed the innocent firefly until he was completely crushing it. "The long way to hell shall begin here. I'll take away what rightfully belongs to me." He apathetically dropped the dead insect from his hands and turned away. "Better watch out where you are going." He smiled darkly and walked away.

* * *

"Neh Tezuka san have you noticed something about baka aniki?" Yuuta asked the stoic captain of Seigaku who was currently arranging his clothing inside the built in cabinets of the room.

They were currently staying inside the room assigned to them after Fuji was dragged away by the two captains: Atobe and Yukimura.

Mizuki on the other hand was busying himself in inspecting the room, but Yuuta could clearly guess that the latter had heard his question clearly. The St. Rudolph Manager seemed more alert than he was before, although he was trying, and failing miserably, to hide his curiosity.

The younger Fuji sighed and plopped himself down the large bed he and Mizuki would be occupying. The room was quite spacious with its own closets, bathroom and two large beds.

"Syuusuke might be a little stressed these days because of the upcoming tournament," the bespectacled boy explained as he hung some of his shirts on the iron bar.

He shrugged not too convinced by what the boy had said to him. It seems that the captain knew something else and wasn't too willing to put the topic out in the open. He just kept silent and gave the liberty of respecting the older boys' privacy.

"I know you're worried about your brother."

"Wh-Why would I be worried with Ba-Baka Aniki!," he stuttered and dove himself on the mattress face first.

He just laid there motionless, only the sound of Mizuki's occasional footsteps across the room and Tezuka's rummaging in the closet are heard. A few more moments had passed when he heard a faint creaking noise and could only guess that the door was being opened.

He peered from the bed linens just in time to see his brother coming in from the doorway with an innocent look in his face. Though his face looked like how it always seem, something's nagging Yuuta that something was different about the smiling boy. He just couldn't quite place his fingers on it.

He kept a close eye on the latter as he walked across the room, mindless of the obvious stares directed towards him. He caught a brief eye contact with the captain and noticed that the latter must have also sensed the difference in the boy.

Fuji carelessly drapped himself against the ottoman near the window and gave each one of them a look. "What are you looking at?"

Yuuta shivered at the coldness in his brothers voice. He immediately averted his eyes when he felt like he was being zapped by his animosity. His suspicion that his brother was planning something bad grew ten fold as he involuntarily hugged himself as if shielding himself away from the uncomfortable silence hanging around the room.

* * *

Yumiko almost jumped up in surprise when the dish she was drying with the kitchen towel accidentally slipped away from her hands and shattered into pieces when it hit the concrete floor.

She sighed and crouched down to start picking up the pieces.

But as soon as she started gathering up the shards a cold feeling suddenly breezed passed her making the hair at the back of her neck to stand.

One thought then came into her mind as an image readily squeezed against her mind.

"I hope you're alright."

* * *

The games had just begun. . . . .

* * *

**A/N: **Finally! Hurray! I finally finished this one. I've been typing this for more than two weeks already and starting to get fed up with it. I was experiencing a massive writers block, my schedules been a little messed up and my computers being a brat again. And now after all those grueling days, I finally finished this one.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I loved, and suffered hehe, writing it though it really drained my brain cells out.

More drama's going to happen so you better hang on tight. A sneak preview of Fuji Syuusuke's real identity would finally be revealed in the upcoming chapters.

Reviews are well loved and more than appreciated so it would really make me happy if you'd take your time and review.

Anyway see you next time minna. . . and thanks to all those who had been patiently reading my story.

No flames please by the way. . . . .


	15. Arc Two: Memoirs Part 1

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, language**

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **apocadelic, Lolita-mist, kitsune16487, RuByMoOn17, abhorsen3, forgotten hyoshi, setsuko teshiba, 678yui-julie-and-kiki-kitte, animegurl088, xcreepyxsusiex

**A/N** Yay! I'm back minna-san. I may have suffered a momentary writer's block or I was just in the state of my procrastinating self but well I hope this update would pay up for the long wait. Drop by my profile to know new info about the new fic and more facts about WOTH. And I'm also working on my website so please look out for it. I'd post the link in my profile's page once its out.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Hope You'd Enjoy Reading. . . .

**

* * *

**

Chapter Fifteen 

_**Arc Two: Memoirs of a Long Forgotten Past 1**_

* * *

It was already half past nine when all the tennis players gathered up in the spacious dining room of the Echizen mansion to take their well needed breakfast. The overwhelming impact they had endured a while back, when they had arrived and first set foot in this monstrosity Ryoma would so like to call as his 'home', was still afresh in the poor tennis players minds. They never would have thought in the deepest hollows of their minds that their ochibi is this rich. Much more live in this kind of place. Some felt green with envy of the boy. A prodigy of his own league and even fortunate to have such a legendary player as his father.

'Darn lucky kid' Momoshiro couldn't help but shake his head at the thought as he sat on the velvet dining chair. He was too cautious to move even for a slight inch, afraid that his butt might damage such expensive furniture.

The others were left to ponder on their own thoughts as they silently gathered up in the humungous dining hall. Everything in this house clearly screams expensive. If the numerous amount of bedrooms where more than enough to wow their eyes out well this dining room made their jaws drop down in shock ten times more.

'Okay so who in seven hells would have this kind of dining room in their house.' They screamed in their heads.

"Is this some practical joke?" Mukahi asked aghast. "Where are the camera's?"

The hall was very spacious with three long mahogany tables strategically lined up parallel to one another. There where also several dozens of chairs accompanying it. A massive crystal chandelier hang over the ceiling splashed with blue paint. The whole floor was carpeted in blue and porcelain dining wares were delicately arranged on the long customized narra table. Paintings and photos hang over the walls in expensive looking frames.

It took them quite a while to finally be able to settle themselves down and await for the feast that was prepared to appease their appetites.

Everyone was already bustling about and feasting on the scrumptious meal presented for them to 'devour' when the large door of the room swung open. Movements stopped as all pairs of eyes focused on the entryway just in time to see a gruff looking Ryoma Echizen stomping down his way towards a small round dining table situated beside the large window. He plopped himself down the chair unceremoniously, the glare in his eyes never wavering even for one bit.

Moments later the door banged open again this time seeing the ever smiling face of Rikkaidai's captain, Seiichi Yukimura. Others felt chills run down their spine at the sight of that ever innocent smile. Somehow that smile sent them dreadful vibes, most especially to those of the Seigaku team. They sometimes wonder if ever he was a long lost relative or twin of the resident sadistic tensai of Seigaku, Fuji Syuusuke. Following him behind is the scowling Atobe Keigo who's eyes immediately hardened at the sight of the freshman prodigy who was already helping himself in his breakfast.

The diva wordlessly marched off to the unsuspecting boys direction with a not so worried looking Yukimura just following behind him. The two dragged two empty seats and sat themselves down. The silence that surfaced after, was deafening and suffocating. The on lookers fidgeted uncomfortably. No one dared to touch their food, feeling all their appetite get flushed down the drain.

They unknowingly held back their breaths when the Seigaku brat stopped chewing his food, and gently laid down his fork at the rim of his plate. He dabbed the napkin against his lips, laid it down again before shooting a deadly glare towards the diva who answered such vulgar and unhindered action from the boy with an equally freezing glare.

As the staring competition continued, Yukimura seemed to be the most unaffected among the occupants of the room as he continued eating his breakfast in silence, motioning for Ryoma to take a bite of his food he holds up from his own fork every once in a while. It's either he chose to ignore the whole thing or he's just plain oblivious of the tension that's hanging around him.

"Come now Ryoma chan eat your breakfast before the soup gets cold. You too Keigo. Stop acting like a bunch of two year olds and just focus on your food," he admonished adding fuel to the fire as his smiling eyes flickered over the two back and forth.

He sighed in exasperation when he wasn't able to elicit any response from the two boys. He nudged their sides and the corner of his lips uplifted into a small knowing smile.

"Ryoma. . . ." he started.

The said boy twitched.

"Ryoma chan. . . . ." he murmured sweetly.

His eyes darkened. And before anyone of them could even guess what's going to happen next, the renowned Seigaku freshman started blowing up. "Why do you always see me?! Why can't you see that Monkey King there," he pointed at Keigo. " is the one who's wrong this time? Why is he always supposed to be in the upper hand of things here?" He kept jutting out his finger towards the diva.

"Ryo—"

"He's acting like some damn immature kid who can't even accept the fact that he lost. Damn bastard. He has an ego as big as this house." He ranted out.

To everyone's surprise the Hyotei Captain seemed to have also reached his limit as he stood up, leaned over and smacked the table top with his two bare hands sending a loud banging sound across the room.

"Oi brat stop pushing all the blame to ore sama. You're the one who cheated on ore sama."

"Damn it monkey king. Why can't you just accept the truth that you lost to me fair and square? And if ever there's someone who's been cheating here and I would even willingly bet my life on this, that it's you who's been doing that all along." He said through gritted teeth.

The mad exchange continued as if the others around them didn't exist at all.

"Neh. . . Oishi what do you think those three are talking about?" Eiji asked his doubles partner who was seated next to him curiously. The mother hen just shrugged but the look of worry was clearly evident on his face. And it seems that he was just using up all his self control so he won't jump up to the scene and stop the whole commotion.

Keigo angrily smacked the table again. "How dare you accuse ore sama of being someone as lowly as a cheater. Ore sama is more than capable of winning a stupid game such as poker." He retorted back his face turning red in anger.

The room fell silent again as the two angered players stared at each other with so much animosity that could freeze waters in an instant. You can literally see angry electrical sparks flashing between their eyes. In the middle of this whole exchange Yukimura remained quiet with the oh so serene smile of his hanging upon his lips.

Then out of the blue he laughed.

"What's so funny?" Ryoma blinked at the boy who was too busy howling his ass out in laughter.

His laughter slowly dissipated but he remained clutching his stomach that was left aching from all the laughing that he did. " You two are so funny."

"Huh?"

"You know none of you cheated from the start okay so just forget the whole thing already. Besides it's just a game okay. No big deal."

Keigo frowned. "How can you even give such preposterous suggestion to ore sama. Do you think ore sama could forgive such insolence from this brat. How dare he accuse me of being a cheater."

"Well you cheated," Ryoma commented crossing his arms against his chest. His eyes darted on the diva with a sour look.

"Why you—"

"I told you no one cheated."

"But if no one cheated how come there where two queen of hearts in the deck of cards?" Ryoma looked at the Rikkaidai captain warily.

The smiling boy smirked at that. "Simple. I was the one who added it in."

Their eyes widened.

"What an unfearful guy. . . Fssssshhhhh," Kaidoh hissed.

Marui gulped. "Buchou—"

Sanada looked grim. "Yukimura. . . . . . . . ."

"Wh—Why the hell did you do that?"

He simply shrugged taking a small delicate sip of his coffee. "You guys are just too cute to tease. Besides I'm getting kind off bored so I thought of doing a little fun."

One thing was held true after this scenario. Never ever leave a certain Seiichi Yukimura bored.

Amidst the commotion one figure slipped out of the room with a heavy heart. His fists where tightly clenched.

"_Laugh all you want. . . . because in the end all you would be doing is cry and suffer."_

* * *

_Atobe Corporation Main Building_

Within the massive four walled conference room of the renowned Atobe Corporation held Japan Business world's top business moguls. Men and women of their respected statures in the industry, where all seated down on their designated seats around the large customized mahogany table situated at the center of the said state of the art room. The usual calm and business like demeanors carried out from previous meetings where long gone as the bickering and ceaseless insults where thrown at each other.

To make things much simpler, Atobe Corporation is now having an official war fare.

The place was in a total chaos. You could see papers and folders flying around. Obscene languages fluidly escaping their lips without any holds being bared.

As everything continued to unfold one man held his reigns and sat calmly at the far end of the table. His brows would twitch every once in a while. His bespectacled eyes seem to turn to each of the opposing members who were ungracefully rioting right before him. A sigh of aggravation was blown away and he tiredly clasped his hands together and held it above the table. Like the patient man that he is he waited for the commotion to stop by itself.

But everyone didn't seem to notice his actions and such, as they continued settling matters into their own hands.

"Back stabbing leech!"

"Woman! How dare you talk back at me that way!" came the incredulous reply.

Another bulky piece of folder came flying . . .

SMACK!

. . . . and hit Atobe Satoru squarely in the face. All of them seem to freeze in their spots as they stared at the horror that was right before them.

The papers that were safely stacked inside the said flying folder now lay scattered around the disheveled room and some were still flying here and there after it smashed itself against the ticked off company president.

GULP!

Blood drained from everyone's faces as Satoru carefully peeled of the now empty folder from his person and set it atop the table.

"Will you all kindly sit down," he started off, brows furrowed together. His voice was deadpanned that it could even freeze waters.

They silently obeyed cowering away from his ever so powerful presence. Some squinted their eyes afraid of the hell that was yet to come upon themselves. But the expected wrath didn't come as they were greeted with intense silence. The sudden fiery outburst was absent.

"Why don't we all calm down for a while and resolve these matters at hand at a more civilized manner," he spoke once again. Voice so apathetic that it made them shake to the roots of their hairs.

One brave soul though, brave enough to question the Atobe Satoru's words, stood up and voiced out his thoughts in the open.

"But President how can we calm down when all this problems are starting to slap us in the face? We're loosing money and our investments are what's at stake here. We cannot just chill around and do nothing while we run down the hill."

He sighed. "I understand how you all feel but as business men we must not loose our cool during these times or things might just end up getting worse. Don't you think that instead of bickering around like little kids, we should think of better ways on how to get out of this mud hole?"

The room fell silent.

"We aren't the only ones who are getting dragged into this pointless mess but the smaller workers of the company as well. Don't you think that we should at least give them a little consideration. Let's not think only about ourselves but put them in our priorities as well." He added.

Mr. Yoshinoya, the renowned 'asshole' of an owner of a shipping line rebutted and started cursing at Satoru who calmly maintained his poise. "Bullshit! I don't have the time to deal with this nonsense. I have more important things to do."

Satorus jaw hardened. "All of us here are racing against time."

"I should have listened to your brother. I should have merged with him instead of this damn company. Now I'm loosing money. And I'm loosing it big time." He continued not knowing the full implications of his words on Satoru who was now sporting a look of surprise and bewilderment.

"Wait you've been in contact with my brother."

Yoshinoya's lips suddenly snapped shot like he had just stepped on the breaks without proper warning. His face was as white as vinegar, looking very much like a deer caught by the headlights.

"Yoshinoya. . ."

He started to shake his head profusely. But Satoru knew better that he was having an empty denial. He's obviously lying from how he was having beads of sweat rolling down the side of his cheeks.

But before he could even inquire again, Yoshinoya already has his things in his hand and ran off without bothering to excuse himself.

"Satoru aren't you going to stop him,"Mrs. Akira asked from beside him.

He felt all his energy get drained away as he weakly sat down and held his throbbing temples. "No. No let him go." He sighed. "Let's just resume the meeting"

Everyone nodded in accordance.

Seeing that everyone seem to have gained their composure Atobe Satoru nodded at his assistant and they soon resumed the conference but his thoughts were still somewhat scattered.

"_Hopefully we aren't too late in repairing the damages in the company" _he thought as he focused on the reports. _"Brother where are you? What have you got to do with all this?"_

* * *

It's been a while since he came here and the feeling that engulfed him was quite disturbing. He silently closed the door behind him and proceeded to walk across the room. There were several things stacked up neatly on the numerous number of shelves pinned down against the walls. Some were covered with white linen while others were already dusty and clogged by spider webs and such.

The silent creaking of his foot down the wooden flooring could be heard now and then as he roamed around not knowing what else he should be doing here instead of just walking aimlessly with no point of direction. The expensive chandelier which was surprisingly clean and free of any signs of dirt, hang above the elevated ceiling. The light was dim and warm as it spread its threads across the dark room.

His steps stopped in front of a large wooden chest lounging on the corner of the room. He stared at the its lidded top before he shrugged, kneeled down and ran a finger along its dusty exterior. The chest didn't seem familiar to him. He checked for the locks and saw that it didn't have any.

Knotting his brows for a while, trying to figure out whether it would be wise if he'd just leave it be. But curiosity got the best of him as he just found himself grasping the edges of the lid and pushing it upward. It wasn't as he heavy as he thought it would be.

After successfully removing the said obstruction, the fair amount of contents of the said wooden box was now held before his eyes. He examined the contents disinterestedly, pulling out random objects, mostly consisting of photo albums and clothings.

"Figures. Nothing surprising is in this antique." He was about to resume in dumping back the contents he had piled up on the floor when something had caught his attention. A golden bordered photo frame was lying on the very floor of the said box. He leaned forward and grabbed the object.

The extravagant carvings of gold on the border of the frame didn't fascinate him quite as much as the actual photograph it was securing between its velvet backing and expensive glass. It was a photo of him when he was probably in grade school with a brunette boy hugging him across the neck. He frowned not remembering who the mysterious boy is. His golden eyes were swarmed with emotions as he tried recalling the time when the picture was taken. He could vaguely recall that said event but the boy remained a mystery.

"Such a beautiful picture isn't it?"

To his utter surprise, Ryoma gave out an indignant yelp and almost end up throwing away the frame in his hand. He clutched his chest forcefully feeling his heart racing up against his chest that he wouldn't be surprised if it ends up falling down from his chest and into the floor. He drew several deep breaths trying his very best to regain his normal breathing.

Once he was finally calm down he pushed himself from his slumping position and turned around to face the direction where he had heard the voice a while ago. He saw a shadowy figure standing by the slightly parted door. He might have been too immersed in his own thoughts that he didn't even feel the presence of another person inside the room. And as Tezuka would most likely say, he let his guard down.

"Who are you?"

The figure chuckled as 'it' walked towards the light.

"Fuji senpai?" the freshman knotted his brows at the ever smiling tensai of Seigaku who was now standing before him. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be downstairs practicing with the others?"

Participants for the Japanese representatives are having a practice game on the outdoor tennis courts.

The tensai just shrugged, maintaining that red herring smile of his. He silently walked over to the window and pushed aside the heavy draperies, letting the sunrays creep inside the room. His frail looking body leaned against the walls and stared at the window. "The view here is still as pretty as I could remember. Nothing much had changed expect for the fact that I already aged and you as well."

Okay now he's confused. The golden eyed prodigy walked over to the tensai.

"Fuji senpai. . . "

"I was looking all over for you. I haven't seen you since after breakfast when you where arguing with ATOBE." He said, spitting the diva's name with a hint of disdain. Or maybe it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.

'Why would Fuji senpai hate him in the first place?' he said to himself pushing the thoughts aside when the blue eyed boy started speaking to him again.

"I was right when I thought you'd be here though. I know this is your favorite place in the house since you were a kid. You store all your memories here. In all this boxes. In all these shelves. That's why you hold this place so dearly." He stated smartly without even batting an eyelash.

It was Ryoma who had to blink several times at what the tensai had just said.

'_How in seven hells did he know that?'_

Fuji, who seemed to have read his thoughts clearly, just smiled in return and pulled away the frame from his hand. His features softened and Ryoma could almost swear he felt something warm touch his chest upon seeing that serene expression in his senpai's face. He seemed a lot more relaxed than he's used to.

"I love this picture." He muttered out tracing the photo encased inside the frame.

The boy turned to him with those piercing blue eyes that made Ryoma freeze on his spot. Normally those eyes didn't affect him quite as much but there's something about those eyes that made him do nothing. A cold foreboding feeling swept across him and he shivered inwardly.

Intense silence swarmed the room.

A sigh escaped the tensai's lips. Ryoma who didn't want to start making a conversation either opted to just snoop around the things that were inside the boxes. A large box hidden from one's peripheral vision had caught his attention.

If he wasn't good at controlling his emotions he would have yelped then and there. Or even so, throw a hissy fit, when a painstakingly huge amount of hentai magazines greeted him once he had removed the tapes securing the box's covers.

"Damn baka oyaji. His magazines are everywhere." He grumbled darkly and snapped the lid shut once again. He literally pushed the box aside with his feet, wary of the idea of ever touching those hideous and blasphemous things once again. "Mom would surely behead oyaji if she ever sees these things." He said sourly.

Fuji chuckled. "So Uncle Nanjirou still has a fetish for this kind of reading materials huh. I wonder Ryoma chan. Don't you like to have a look at one?"

His eyes turned to pure horror. "Why the hell I would read those things. I'm not perverted like baka oyaji," he hissed.

The older boy shook his head with a small smile still hinting along his lips. He dragged a stool over at Ryomas spot and sat upon it. "You still haven't changed at all Ryo chan. You never really liked this kind of things ever since you were a kid huh."

The prodigy who was hunching over a new set of boxes straightened up and faced the boy who had been going around puzzles ever since he appeared inside this room. He placed one hand against his hips and swept away the stray hair that carelessly fell against his eyes.

"You know there are things that the others doesn't know about me. What had happened in my past? Who I really am? Where have I come from? They don't know who the real Fuji Syuusuke is?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know quite well what I am talking about Ryoma." He smirked. "You of all people should know what I mean. If only your memory proves to be helpful at this point in time."

His dilly dallying was really getting on his nerves now, and Ryoma wasn't all too happy about it. "Fuji senpai please stop talking in riddles. I'm getting tired of playing seek with you."

His blue eyes sharpened with emotions. "When I was a kid I lived here in America all by myself when my parents decided to dump me for no apparent reason. I had to learn how to survive on my own without having to depend on other people. I didn't have any place to go. I didn't have any place to run to. I had to live on the streets, eat anything that I could. I lived a peasants' life very miserably." He saw the tensai's fists clench and unclench as he restrained his pent up emotions he kept bottled up inside of him.

"I didn't trust anyone, even those who dare to show me some pity. I didn't need it. I could survive on my own. I hated everyone who treated me as a weakling. Until one day. . . . "

"_Thanks Mrs. Browning," he smiled at the person gratefully as he pushed open the door of the convenience store while pocketing his money. "I'll be going home now."_

_The bespectacled gray haired woman standing behind the corner nodded at him before she went back into doing her daily inventory._

_Syuusuke gladly stepped out of the establishment where he was working at as a store help. It was a surprise that someone would even bother hiring a kid like him when they could find someone who is more than capable and of the right age. But the woman, who saw him one day, wandering around the streets in his torn out and baggy clothing, gladly took him in as a helper. He felt wary of the lady's presence at first but slowly warmed up to her as the days goes by._

_Mrs. Browning is living on her own since she is a widower. Her only child died when he was still an infant. She treated Fuji as her own son because of that. The emptiness brought about by the loss of her son and husband made her want to find someone else to fill those empty spot. And she saw Fuji as someone who is more than fitting to be that person. She offered him a place where he could stay. But when she asked if he wanted to study Syuusuke politely declined it, not wanting to abuse the woman's generosity too much. Aside from the shelter and the salary he's getting he didn't accept anything else from her. He maintained that wall he had built around him which no one dared to penetrate._

_Upon stepping out of the confines of the store the numbing cold of the winter season knocked against his fragile body. His numerous layers of clothing wasn't of big help to him either. It was already thin from being worn too much and washed too much. He sighed, and rearranged his scarf circled upon his neck. _

_Through the dim light shed by the gas lamp posts he went on his way on the snow covered streets. Rounding several curbs he had reached the small run down apartment. He was about to insert the keys when he heard footsteps from somewhere. He pulled back and immediately surveyed his surroundings. Not seeing anyone lurking around suspicion aroused and he casually dove behind the bushes of the vacant lot just across the apartment building. _

_He crouched down there motionless, waiting for the person to make his presence. It took only several minutes when the hurried footsteps drew nearer. From one corner he saw a figure running towards his direction. It was a figure of a small boy who seemed like he was running for dear life._

_Syuusuke just continued hiding behind the bushes while watching the boy who looked like he was only a few years younger than him. _

"_Oi chibisuke come back here!" a voice echoed out of nowhere._

_Through the dim shade of the rusty lamp posts in the street, Syuusuke saw fright creep up into the boys eyes. "Yadda!" The poor boy continued his mad dash mindless of the direction where he would be heading to. Just as when he was about to round across the other street, suddenly the boy tripped and fell down hard on the pavement. He splayed across the dusty ground helplessly._

"_Wait till I get you, you damn brat!" the voice yelled again. "I'll make sure you wont be able to rant me out on otousan again."_

_The said boy tried to get up but it seems that he had somehow injured his legs. He yelped and clutched his bruised appendage._

_Syuusuke felt a gnawing feeling at the pits of his stomach. There was an inner turmoil of emotions swarming across his mind. He was battling out in whether he should help the boy or just let him deal with his own business. _

'_Maybe I should help him. . . or maybe not. I don't even know who he is so why should I even bother helping him. It's not like it would be my loss if I don't do something for him' he thought._

_He was about to turn back and escape when the voice of the person who was in pursuit of the unnamed kid became nearer and it seems that he was so darn pissed off right now. 'Poor kid' He looked back again just in time to see a shadow looming over the corner where the helpless boy came from a while ago. It grew more prominent as the pursuant drew closer and closer to its prey._

_And for the first time in his life Fuji felt confused. _

_By the last minute, without thinking twice he hopped out of his hiding place, ran towards the boy and hoisted him up onto his shoulders._

"_What are you—"_

_He held his finger against his lips. "Ssshhh. . . he's coming near. I'll help you get out of here."_

_The boy with the most mesmerizing pair of golden eyes he has ever seen in his entire life, blinked back at him innocently, before he managed to give a small nod._

_He scanned his surroundings before he scurried off into the darkness._

* * *

Somewhere out there

Two figures where lounging inside the medieval inspired library.

Old looking yet still majestic lamps were mounted on the walls, all lighted up and shining bright inside the room.

Smoke from lighted cigarette and tobaccos were mingling with the cold air conditioned air, spreading across every nook and cranny of the place.

"It seems that everything's going on as planned." The man sitting on the swivel chair smirked, twirling the glass of wine he clipped between his fingers.

The other person who was standing by the window shrugged and stuffed his hand inside his pocket. He let go of the hem of the curtain he was pulling back as he stared out of the window. He gently flicked the television's remote control and the monitor died off into nothing but pure black. The man tossed the apparatus on the sofa and strolled over to the wine cabinet to pull out a new bottle of drink.

"I wonder how Satoru would get himself out of this mess. I'm sure he's starting to freak out already." The man who spoke up earlier added with a malicious glint sparkling on his eyes.

His companion smiled at that. "I would love to see him loose his cool for once. Poor Satoru peeing in his pants and pleading for my mercy. For my forgiveness."

"It would be such a pity to see Atobe Empire crumble down though."

"Idiot, that's our plan so we could manipulate Satoru. We won't be getting anywhere if we won't do any damage to the company. You know that it is Satoru's strongest barrier and his weakest point all in all."

He nodded in understanding. "By the way from what the private investigator had reported to me a while ago, it seems that he is also back."

A small hint of smile carved its way against his lips. His sunken features grew darker as he gulped the contents of his glass. "Oh is that so. . . . I never knew things would get this interesting."

"Well it already did."

"Maybe we can use him."

He raised his brows. "Why? Don't tell me you're planning to drag him into this mess too?"

"I think he would be a big help."

"I think that's pure bull. Come on, the kid might just ruin the plan."

"He's more than what you can think of. Besides where's the fun in it when the strongest ally we can have wouldn't join us."

He sighed, resigning in surrender and defeat. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

Fuji could feel Ryoma's eyes boring holes against his back. The heat of his gaze was too intense but the tensai opted to ignore it. He didn't want to entertain his questions at this point. He just wanted to tell him everything. He wanted to lift the burden away. He was already tired of living everyday of his life like nothing is fucking wrong when in fact everything is wrong. He doesn't want to breathe and live another minute living the way he's living right now.

He couldn't stand to live a day wallowing in his misery. He can't wake up again without feeling so darn pathetic because he couldn't be near the person he treasures the most. He couldn't just let fate do its thing again without him doing anything.

He had suffered long enough. Maybe it's time to reclaim something or someone he had lost.

The fact that someone he had been holding so dear to him was so near yet seemingly so far away from him at the same time wounds him. He can't hold him. Touch him. Tell him that he was here. Tell him that everything would be alright.

He could just stand on the sides. Smile. Laugh. Seethe. Hate. Live like everything was at its best. Mingle around and act casually when he's around him. Treat him as nothing but a mere underclassman, as a kouhai. Nothing but a colleague.

Years may have passed already but the feelings he had treasured at the deepest trench of his heart continued to grow aflame. He didn't live a day without waking up and thinking about the past that was forced away from his grasp.

Maybe the longing in his heart is what had forced him to hunger for attention. He wanted to find someone who could replenish him away from his sadness.

Tezukas presence, unconsciously may have somewhat reminded him of Ryoma. Perfection.

But for him no one could really, even though how much he tried to, replace Ryoma's place in his heart. That is a fact he couldn't hide anymore. He knew that even Tezuka already has an inkling feeling of the foreboding separation that would happen to the two of them sooner or later.

Fuji prefers this kind of end more than the thought of further hurting the Seigaku captain. Yes he loved Tezuka but maybe it was not enough to make him forget about the pain he had to endure of being away from the one person his heart is truly yearning for.

All he can do is sit around. Force himself to stand up and do what he does best. Pretend.

Pretend like he was okay. When in fact his insides where burning with hate. Like it was slowly being eaten up with a poison so intense that would just leave him powerless at some certain point.

Atobe. Yukimura.

Yes those two people, he considered as his rivals. Even from the very beginning. He knew that they would be those thorns that would hinder his plans. They would take the one person he had learned to treasure more than life itself. He may have stayed in the shadows and watched them take his love away in the past. But not now.

He wasn't the same Fuji Syuusuke who just stays as a shadow.

He isn't just the faceless friend from before, whose existence nobody knew of.

He isn't just a valueless past that has been thrown away like trash.

They wouldn't have the last laugh. They didn't deserve it. In his eyes, all they deserve to have are defeat and agony. Happiness is far from what they should have.

He would prove that he has every right. He would prove that in the end it would be him.

* * *

_He was busy packing his stuff inside his backpack when he heard a faint knocking sound on the door. The knocking continued for a few more seconds before it died down. Curious as to who the visitor is, Fuji dropped down his things on top of his bed and walked over to open the front door of the apartment._

"_Ohayou Syu chan," came a squeaky and cheerful voice once had the door fully open._

_Fuji couldn't help but smile as he stared at the boy standing at his doorstep._

"_Ohayou Ryoma chan," he greeted back warmly and ruffled the boys hair while ushering him inside the house._

_The boy followed obligingly and ran to sit on his bed. _

"_Whatcha doing here?"_

_It had already been a week since the incident where he had to save the boy from his 'assailant' which he later found out that it was actually his older brother, Echizen Ryoga. It seems that the older Echizen tend to make fun of his kid brother all the time. A fact that made Fuji's blood boil. _

_After he had tended to the boys wounds he took him back to the Echizen manor. The day after that he just found the boy standing in front of his house. Now it was already a normal occurance if he'd see the boy nearby or deliberately visiting him in the house._

_He also had the privilege of meeting his parents. Even the loath full bastard he has for a brother had already met him face to face. The boy simply scowled at him and walked out. What a rude kid._

_Ryoma bowed his head swinging his feet back and forth as it dangled on the edge of his bed._

"_I miss Syu Chan," he beamed._

_Fuji could almost swear he felt his heart melt at those words. His golden eyes sparkled with happiness as he smiled up at him brightly._

"_Why? Don't you have any other friends?"_

"_I do. But Sei chan and Kei chan are away. Mom said that they went with their otousan's for a trip."_

"_Oh." He shrugged and went back in his packing deed with Ryoma shamelessly watching what he's doing._

"_Are you going away too?" the boy asked with a small pout in his lips. He had that beaten look in his face._

_He shook his head. "No." He zipped his bag closed and hoisted it up his shoulders. "I'm just going to work."_

"_Work?"_

"_Yes, I work at a convenience store." He smiled._

"_But you're still a kid like me." He commented, frowning. "Aren't you supposed to be going at school?"_

"_I really should be going at school but what am I to do. I am not rich, and I have to earn my own living so that I'd be able to survive."_

"_Why won't Aunt Browning pay for your school fees?"_

"_It's not like that at all. Actually she's more than willing to send me to school. But you know the real score Ryoma. I am nothing but a stray cat here that she took in. I am not in the right position to abuse her generosity to me. Besides I want to learn how to stand on my own."_

_To his surprise he felt a small pair of arms wrapping themselves against his torso. He looked down and saw Ryoma snuggling his face on his jacket._

"_You don't have to be lonely anymore Syu chan. You are not alone anymore Syu chan."_

_He smiled sadly running his fingers along the silky emerald locks of his hair. "Ryoma. . ."_

"_Ryo chan is here to cheer you up. I would be your bestest best friend."_

"_Silly kid," he ruffled his hair making Ryoma squeal in laughter._

_The golden eyed boy pouted. "Why? You don't want me to be your bestest best friend?"_

"_Of course I do." He answered without even thinking twice. What ever made him say those words without actually having to think made him wonder. Wasn't he supposed to disagree? To decline? Because sooner or later he'd just get tired of him? Sooner or later he'd end up dumping him too just like what his parents did. So why didn't he just contradict and shun him away before its too late?_

_Maybe there's still hope for him to be happy after all. . . _

_Maybe for now he would let himself hope that things won't come at that point. . . . . _

_For now he just wants to feel how to be happy. . . _

_At least just for now. . . _

* * *

**A/N: **Yosh! Chapter 15 is finally finished. . .

Anyway I would like to thank everyone who have been looking forward into seeing my update and to those who had left comments and added me and my story in their favorites or alerts list. I wouldn't be here without all of you.

Through all the endeavors I had to face as a writer here, you guys had always been my inspiration.

Thank you very much and see you all in the next update.

Read and Review please.

No Flames.

Ja Ne minna and arigatou gozaimasu. . . . .


	16. Arc Two: Memoirs Part 2

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, language too much cussing may not be advisable to read for those who are wary of profanities**

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers:** DemonGirl13, artist-girl731, kitsune16487, digiMist, RuByMoOn17, catmum56, abhorsen3, eiarim.miraie, apocadelic and congratulations to my reader dichan for acing her project. . .

**A/N** Just a note on the chapter, it would mainly tackle Fuji's past so it may tend to get a little confusing. But all the italicized words had happened in the past and is simply retold from Fuji's point of view.

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Enjoy. . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Sixteen**

_**Arc Two: Memoirs of a Long Forgotten Past 2(Revelation)**_

It had been such a hellish day for all of them. They didn't know why and didn't bother to question either to know the reason for the slave driving fiesta the coaches were doing to the poor Japanese representatives during the whole day training.

Inui Sadaharu, who was assigned to make the training menu with his buddy from Rikkaidai, Renji Yanagi, made things more complicated with Inui's infamous deadly juice at stake for those who wouldn't meet the two monsters expectations. Such an impossible menu was laid down by dawn and had them going till the break of dusk.

When it all seemed like they had been thrown in a pit of cold blooded and monster trainers, the American team, on the other hand, were basking in all the free time given to them. From what the Japanese representatives are seeing, they were being too relaxed. But oh well, that's to be expected when you have "the" Echizen Ryoma as your captain.

The freshman prodigy was known for his extreme displeasure of training and spending time running laps.

For once, as shameful as it may seem, they envied those Americans.

According to the previous calculations Inui had made, based on what he had observed of the rest of the members of the American team, they were also ones who are of top caliber thus ensuring the possibility of blood shed when the UJF matches starts. From what they had heard, the representatives from France aren't ones that should be taken that easily as well. They are known for butchering and beating their opponents to a pulp. "Merciless" is just one of those nasty words people used to describe them. And with the American team also hanging around their tails just proved the fact that the UJF cup would be the battle of the fittest, a definite battle for survival.

So here they are, training like there's no tomorrow. But the worst thing is that, a certain brunette just had to go and ditch practice that fueled Coach Ryuzaki's slave driving fiesta to the hilt. Most of them cursed the certain tensai involved, but wisely zipped their mouths shut instead, knowing that another brunette is equally or maybe more angered than them. The bespectacled Seigaku Captain was practically scaring the wits out of everyone who were already in a good few meters away from him. His face couldn't possibly grow grimmer and more dead panned than it already is.

By the end of practice, the said person came waltzing back with that trademark smile of his plastered upon his face. He sashayed his way across the courts uncaringly, like nothing had ever happened in the first place. He didn't take into account that he is to be held liable for whatever ill fate his fellow players had to suffer just to cover for his sudden, unceremonious disappearance.

He latched himself close to the rigid Seigaku captain who didn't even budge upon seeing his lover. All feared for the worst, but the expected all-hell-will-break-lose scenario did not happen. The bespectacled boy just sighed, gave a small shrug and walked off.

Oishi pitied his best friend. He knew, better than anyone else ,what kind of pain Tezuka was feeling right now.

"_Fuji please don't hurt him," _he thought watching as their backs slowly faded away from his view. _"He doesn't deserve to be hurt this way. It's more than what he can take."_

Night time fell sooner than they had expected, and by the time dinner was over, most of the tennis players already left to retire to their respective chambers and have their well needed sleep. So with sore and training battered bodies they had to drag themselves over to their rooms and almost instantly fall asleep as soon as their backs had hit the soft mattresses of their beds.

As they safely tucked themselves on the threshold of their blankets, one lone figure quietly slipped away and aimlessly trudged down the hallway and out of the building. An air of bitter sadness and extreme displeasure was emanating around him. Briskly, he navigated his way around the large lawn not noticing the other figure following him from behind.

Finally, he halted down to a stop and looked back, startling his follower by his sudden action. His blue eyes glimmered dangerously under the pale moonlight, while the other looked back with his own defiant and cold stare.

"What are you doing, sneaking behind my back Tezuka?" he grunted acridly staring directly at the bespectacled boy before him.

The way the tensai was treating him so coldly and almost as if they were complete strangers who merely bumped against one another by accident made Tezukas blood boil in suppressed anger.

With a deep intake of breath to calm himself down, the Seigaku captain met his stare refusing to back down without giving a proper fight.

"You and I need to talk."

Fuji merely raised his brows in silent question. His nonchalant attitude grated Tezuka's nerves even more, making his patience finally snap.

"Damn you Fuji! Why are you doing this?!" he almost shouted in frustration. He looked like he wanted to pull out every strand of his hair out of his scalp in frustration. He was really itching to shake and strangle the boy, but repressed himself from doing so.

The tensai shrugged. "I'm not doing anything Tezuka. You're the one who's making things look complicated."

"Fuji. . . Stop acting like some kind of bastard and tell me what the hell is going on with you. You're not acting like yourself lately damn it."

Tezuka swearing, not only once but twice definitely meant something. The ever calm and collected buchou finally reached his limit. Fuji could really commend the boy for lasting this long. But just as he thought, even an ice block such as Tezuka also has his limits. He was, after all, only human.

"Why are you being so meddlesome Tezuka?"

"Because I know, and I'm not stupid not to, that you are hiding something. And that definitely has something to do with Echizen." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you love him Fuji? Just tell me!"

His eyes flashed dangerously. "Though you and I are lovers, and though we are friends, it still doesn't give you enough right to meddle with my personal affairs Tezuka."

The bespectacled boy felt his heart tear into millions of pieces.

How could Fuji be so heartless?

"Learn to be happy with what we have right now Tezuka. Because if you're not, then its best if you just walk away and never look back. I won't be holding you back if that would be your decision." He spun on his heel and casually walked away, leaving the Seigaku captain rooted down his spot.

* * *

_Two years before Fuji was left in New York_

"_Damn, how can you lose that much money in just a blink of an eye!"_

_Fuji quietly walked down the stairs, careful not to create any noise. He stood beside the partly opened door of his parents bedroom and peeped inside. He saw his mother standing by the large window, draped by some dusty and patched curtain. She looked thoroughly pissed off with that menacing expression on her face, while she walked back and forth. His father on the other hand was slouching down on a one seater chair with a lighted cigarette clipped between his fingers. His buck teeth glistened against the fluorescent lights as he sneered at the nagging lady before him._

_This was just one of those days when his mother and father would argue incessantly over trivial matters. He was well aware of his fathers bad past time of making unreasonable bets and too much gambling, reason why there isn't enough money for them to be able to buy all the things they need to maintain the house and at least pamper themselves even for a bit._

_His father was just working as a low paying factory worker while his mom works as a part time cook at a well off family who live just a few blocks away from them, so you can say that their hands are tightly bound when it comes to financial matters. As a matter of fact, Fuji was doing some self teaching since he wasn't being supported by his parents to go and attend school._

_He was always locked up inside the house and forbidden to go out and mingle with kids his age. Sad to say, Fuji was isolated from the outside world._

"_I lost the bet okay! No big deal!," his father gritted his teeth in suppressed anger, taking a small whisk of his cigar._

_His mother snorted, crossing her arms uncharacteristically across her chest. She narrowed her eyes at her husband accusingly._

"_You must have spent it on that whore house you've been going to these past few days huh?" she nagged._

_BAM!_

_Fuji unconsciously scrunched his eyes closed when his father suddenly stood up from his seat, causing the chair he was sitting at, to fall back on the floor with a loud thud, and slapped his mother across her cheeks. His chest was rising and falling heavily, eyes burning with anger and rage. His brown eyes darkened dangerously at his wife, his hands which had just hit her delicately smooth cheeks a while ago, was still suspended in mid air._

_The little boy gulped, his nimble fingers almost digging against the wooden frame of the door. His eyes held fear._

_A few more moments had passed before he heard his mom react. She gasped. Her eyes widening in obvious shock. And with one shaking finger, she pointed at her husband with more than enough accusations that almost caused his dad to slap her again._

"_How dare you do that to me you large oaf!"_

"_Stop nagging me like you're some jealous bitch!," he snapped back spitefully._

_Syuusuke covered his ears from those words that threaten to pollute his innocent mind, but to no avail. Their voice was more powerful than what his hands could shield him safe._

"_You're the one who's doing those things so why put the blame on me you womanizing bastard!," she hissed lunging at her husband ferociously._

_His dad tried his best to fend her off without using too much force that might end up hurting her, but she was too persistent with her clawing and scratching that he finally decided to just shove her off._

_Uncharacteristically landing on her butt, she once again rose up to start fighting off with her husband._

"_Cheating bastard!"_

"_Stop it!"_

"_Womanizing bullshit!!"_

"_I said stop it!"_

_SLAP!_

_He striked her again. _

_Not able to take it anymore, Fuji felt a sudden surge of anger toward his father. True, his mother may have caused him a great deal of physical injuries because of her abusive assaults, but Fuji still cared for his mom, just like how he care for his ill mannered father. He rushed in, just in time to see his father ready to strike his mom right across her face for the third time._

"_Otousan!," he screamed in retaliation while pushing through the doors._

_The two occupants of the room visibly froze._

_His father's face considerably darkened for being caught right handed. Glaring at the older man before him, Fuji strutted across the room and helped his mother up. But instead of being grateful for the rescue, the woman slapped him, earning a surprised gasp from her son. Aghast at what she just did, Fuji held his stinging cheek and couldn't do anything else but to stare at his mom blankly._

"_Get outta my face you piece of shit," she spat, every word dripping with venom._

"_Ma—"_

_She looked enraged, making Fuji cower back in fright. 'Calm down Fuji. . . calm down. Mom didn't mean what she said. She's just angry. It'll pass like nothing happened. It will pass like how those other things just passed by and are now completely forgotten' he thought, the grip on his cheek tightening even more._

_Glaring at Fuji, she pushed herself up and dusted her skirt. Giving a huff of irritation, she spun around and pointed her finger toward the man before her. The said man in turn snorted back._

"_Stupid bastard, you're not even trying to fulfill your part of the deal, while I'm kicking my ass off everyday just to do mine." She shot back hotly, this time turning back her full attention to the man standing a few good inches away from her with a defiant mocking stare gracing his darkened lips. She was too immersed in glaring daggers at him that she completely ignored the presence of the little boy who was already shaking in fear that time._

_He simply raised his brows, pulling out another stick of cigar from his pocket. Idly lighting it and getting a few puffs, he dared to contradict her words once more. "And you're being too absorbed in doing it."_

"_Well, damn you. How are we supposed to pull this stunt off without others getting suspicious and ranting us out to those cops, if we won't gather up our act." She shook in rage, clenching and unclenching her hands several times._

"_Suck it up will you. We both know that you're not doing this because you're supposed to." He smirked, eyes glinting as if he had realized something very amusing. "Maybe you really have fallen in love with me"_

_Her face visibly paled at that and he knew, he just got the answer he wanted. She tried to open her lips to speak, but no words came out, so she just averted her eyes away, knowing that she just got completely busted. _

_He smirked. "I never knew you're that stupid. You know, I'm not looking for any commitments. Much more from a scheming bitch like you. I want my woman to be decent." He crushed his cigar against his palm and let it drop onto the floor._

_That definitely hurt her pride. An insult that surely brought her self esteem down to one level or maybe even more, but she didn't dare show how those words affected her. He'd definitely laugh at her for being such a weakling. For letting those words get to her that easily. "Damn you. This is all your fault. If you hadn't talked me into this piece of bullshit I wouldn't have been in this kind of shitty situation." She glared daggers at him, trying to look more confident of herself._

_He raised his brows once more. He seemed to have noticed her sudden change of topic but didn't comment on the subject any further. "Well you weren't acting that way when I told you about the plan before." He folded his arms across his chest and looked down on her._

"_It was because you told me I'd earn tons of bucks. You never told me something like this would ever happen."_

"_I never knew you were that stupid not to foresee this sort of events." _

_She gritted her teeth._

"_Even so, you are already involved in this so there's nothing you can do about it anymore."_

_She shook her head while turning on her heels. "No. I won't involve myself in this stupidity any longer, so just forget about it." She said dismissively. But before she can fully get out of the room, he was already hot on her heels, grabbing a fistful of her hair and pulling her back in one forceful tug._

_He pulled on her hair so tight that she was forced to look straight up his face. She winced in pain, yelping as his grip got tighter._

"_You can't escape from this. You've been involved far too long and letting you go means your death. You know too much and it would be impossible for me to let you go just like that. This isn't a game." He snarled sardonically narrowing his eyes at her._

_Her eyes widened and her body started to tremble in fear. _

"_Wha—What are you planning to do then? You and I both know that his parents are out there searching for him." Her lips quivered in fear. "We'll get jailed!"_

"_Don't worry. All we have to do is, get rid of him just like what we're supposed to do in the first place and we are both off on our own after that. You can wander off for all I care." He shrugged._

_She gulped, thankful to have somewhat evaded his wrath. She grabbed on the chance and tried to open another conversation, carefully stirring away from any topic that may anger him again. "Have you talked to her. I mean his grand mother?"_

_He released her forcefully, shoving her back down on the floor. He nodded, while pulling out a box of cigar from the pocket of his sleeve. He then retrieved his lighter and lit another stick of cigar._

"_Yeah. I managed to talk to her a while ago and she said her bastard of a son knew what she did on her grandson. She ordered for us to leave as far away and as soon as possible, and banish the kid so his parents won't know he still lives."_

_She frowned, while Fuji, who was quivering in fear earlier started to still as the words his 'father' was spurting at the moment, started to sink into his young mind._

"_You know I never really understood why she wanted to kill her own grandson." She said obviously confused of the situation. She glanced at Fuji briefly and averted her eyes when she caught the boy looking back at her._

_He raised his brows. "It's their problem not ours. Stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong" He added metaphorically._

_Sighing in resignation, convinced that she wouldn't be able to squeeze out any other information from him, she crawled over to Fuji and yanked him up to his feet. "Go to your room and pack your stuff. We're leaving."_

_The brunette seemed to have finally snapped out of his haze, as his eyes flickered over the woman before him hesitantly. Question weighed on his eyes. "Mom. . . ."_

_She gave him a mighty push, knocking him against the door. Blood slowly dripped down his forehead but Fuji was too numb to even notice the slight sting it brought him. He was too confused to even comprehend the things that are happening around him. _

"_Just go!!" Were the last words he had heard before he dashed upstairs and locked himself up in his room._

_They had been traveling for hours, by air and by land, and Fuji had no idea where in seven hells they are heading off to. The reason for their sudden departure was also puzzling him at a great extent and had been troubling him ever since they left their house. He had an inkling feeling that they won't be returning there anymore._

_All he could remember is that there was a huge fight at home, his mother growing hysterical like she's turning into a complete lunatic while his father was having a raging fiesta of slapping and flying fists. Then when the drama mellowed down, they began talking about a kid, stuff about a grandma and all that blah, blah. _

_After the whole drama, Fuji just found himself running to his room, ramming his possessions inside his oversized traveling bag, his parents had bought a while back for some unknown reason, and scampering out the pathetic excuse of a house they were living in for these past few years._

_The questions that had roused on his mind after hearing the conversation between the two was still left unanswered and it seems that it would remain that way._

_Things were all but a blur._

_They didn't even give time for short pauses and did everything like they were being chased by a group of angry mob or as if they were some criminals with a group of police hot on their trails._

_The thought of them being hunted down to be thrown and locked up in jail made Syuusuke's blood run cold._

_He did not question any of them though, knowing that none of them would even bother to supply him with a clear and decent answer whenever he asks them a question. It had always been that way. They treated him as if he was non-existent and would only address him if they needed to ask something or make him do unreasonable things._

_He just let those questions pop out, one after the other and then just shrug it off._

_After getting off the plane, they had boarded for over a day or so, they then hired a cab and drove off. Watching with mild interest, the young brunette kept his eyes peeled away from the burdening animosity lurking around the vehicle. The silence was deafening, suffocating him adamantly. _

_The jazz music blaring out from the dented speakers of the old cab didn't spare them any chance to escape the feeling of doom ominously surrounding them. Even the taxi driver, who tried to mind his own business, was growing slightly agitated behind the stirring wheels. If he wasn't being too much cautious and wary of the deadly signals the man of the house was transmitting towards his direction, he would have stopped the cab right then and there before kicking them out to run for his own safety and survival._

_Stopping by a vacant lot a few moments later, worry resurfaced as Fuji was harshly dragged out of the cab and his baggage which was stashed at the trunk was placed down on the ground beside him. With questioning eyes and forced bravery mirrored across his ocean blue orbs, the boy stared at his mother doubtfully._

"_Mom what are we doing here?" he asked, looking at his surroundings cautiously as if someone would just appear out of nowhere and scare the living daylights out of him. _

_She crouched down and held him against his shoulders, maintaining eye contact with him. Her eyes were emotionless. "Listen. Your dad and I need to go and do something first." She started._

_Syuusuke have a bad feeling about this_

"_We need go somewhere and we need to leave you for a while."_

"_But can't you take me with you? I won't be a bother. I promise."_

_She shook her head at that. "No you can't. They don't allow kids on where we are going."_

"_Is this about the kid and his grandma. Are the police after you? Did you and dad do something wrong?" He fired one question after the other._

_Color drained from her face and Fuji knew he hit a bulls eye out of all the questions he had asked._

_But, her off guarded look didn't last and Fuji felt his heart sink at that._

"_Ma—"_

"_We will come back for you." She said calculatingly, her eyes evading his. Before he could respond, she was already up on her feet and boarding the cab. The look of pity that flashed against her eyes for a fleeting moment didn't go unnoticed to Syuusuke. _

_The engine roared to life once more._

_His eyes strayed after the disappearing visage of the vehicle carrying those two people he had come to know as his parents. _

_He waited, waited and waited. _

_But they never came._

_They never came back for him._

_And Syuusuke realized. . . ._

_He was alone._

* * *

_Two years after_

_As the days passed, Fuji's heart started to develop more hatred and anger to himself and to the cruel world around him. He had enclosed himself, shied away from the world that threatens to inflict him more harm. The warmth was no more as a cold stony exterior replaced his exuberant and once joyful façade. _

_He lived for himself and for himself alone._

_He didn't care for anyone else. _

_They were nothing to him._

_It was like that everyday for him. Until things took a slow halt and as if the heavens had taken pity on him, an angel seemed to have been sent from above, had decided to bestow Fuji with his regal presence._

_And that angel, goes by the name of . . . . .RYOMA ECHIZEN._

_At first the boy was simply a nuisance, he thought he would eventually grow tired off and the same would happen to the said boy. He may have just seen Syuusuke as a passing fancy that would eventually wilt away, leaving him behind once more. But as days droned on, the bond they had shared started to intensify._

_And then Syuusuke just woke up one day to find out that he had already grown quite attached to the ever joyful boy. Too attached for his own liking actually. _

_It was already too late for him to withdraw for the relationship he had rooted with the boy was already deeper than what he would have thought and hoped for. _

_He may have grown quite attached to him more than he meant to, Syuusuke still made sure to keep his distance with the boys friends. He never actually had the chance of meeting them face to face. But on few occasions, he almost accidentally managed to meet them, but it was him who decided to avoid any direct confrontations. He wanted what he had with Ryoma a secret that should just be kept between the two of them._

_It's not like he doesn't favor those boys, its just that he wanted what he have with Ryoma to remain pure and something that only the two of them can share with no one else meddling along those matters happening between them._

_There was no denying it. . . ._

_What he has with Ryoma is something he would hold special for the rest of his life._

_No one, and he'd definitely make sure of it, would come between the two of them_

_Fuji stood by the large mango tree, rooted near the large concrete fence of the Echizen manor. He had been hiding on that same spot for over an hour now, trying to keep his presence unknown to the people who were currently loitering around the spacious garden._

_Aside from making friends with the ants marching up and down his feet and boring holes from the bushes, he would occasionally turn his attention on his surroundings and become awe struck by the magnificence of the garden. The flowers of different kinds and colors gave contrast to the abundant green of the leaves. He could faintly hear the sound of running water from a makeshift pond nearby in which, according to Ryoma, some coy lives._

"_Ryoma wasn't kidding when he said his mother seemed obsessed in tending this garden" he mused, still feasting his eyes around the human made 'paradise' in deep appreciation._

_His attention was forced away from his environment when peals of laughter erupted from nearby which reminded him of the real reason that had brought him here and made him stuck with this uncomfortable situation._

_He would have more time to roam around. But for now there's much more important business he should take care of._

_He had arrived here a while back in hopes of seeing his only friend. But to his dismay, Ryoma's friends were also here to see him. So instead of having any unwanted confrontation, not that he despise those kids or anything, Fuji opted to stay hidden. _

_Why hidden? _

_Well his attempt of slipping out had been too late since the said visitors are already walking out of the French doors and towards the garden where Syuusuke was currently lounging at. He quickly jumped to the nearest spot that he thought would be sufficient and good enough to serve as his hiding place._

_From his crouching position, he carefully parted the bushes enough for him to see the two boys sitting on the metal chairs. Just from one look he could already see that they were just those typical rich kids that he had imagined, especially the gray-purple haired kid who kept on flicking his hair and waving his hand in annoying gestures. _

"_What a diva," he thought with a frown as the said kid kept brandishing his hands that seem to either show emphasis to his point or just to be plain annoying. And Fuji thought without a doubt that the second option was probably the more reasonable one._

_The familiar form of the butler emerged from the door, carrying a silver tray on his right hand. Bowing his head politely to the two, he placed the contents of the tray which consisted of desserts and refreshments, onto the glass table._

"_**Is there anything else you would be in need of young masters,"**__ he asked._

"_**We won't be in need of anything else anymore so you can go and leave us be," **__the 'diva' remarked off handedly and Fuji resisted the urge to smack his head to knock some sense on the boy. Obviously, he thought himself as someone so superior making him treat others as people who are below him, much to Fuji's distaste. Those are the types of people he hated the most._

_He then shifted his attention to the other boy who looked at little uncomfortable with the way his companion just seemed to shrug off the butler without care. He gave the older man a look, an apologetic smile to be exact and gave his best friend a small nudge on the ribs._

"_Maybe he isn't as bad as the diva here" he murmured to himself, attention still glued onto the duo._

_The boy was a little too thin for a boy his age. It seems like he is more of a fragile glass that might break at any given minute. His eyes sparkled when he laughed, slapping the annoying 'diva' like kid on the shoulder. The latter just shrugged the gesture off and continued blabbing and blabbing while the boy just kept on smiling like whatever the boy was speaking of is the funniest thing he had heard of._

_Syuusuke felt a vein throb at the side of his head, as the boys smile started grating on his nerves. He somehow reminded Syuusuke of himself. Seems that the boy had a sadistic streak within him as well. Ooohh, how he knew that kind of smile. Something's definitely cooking up in his devilish little mind. He could just see those gears shifting in his head._

'_Okay so maybe I misjudged him a little. He may be far worse than arrogant kid' he thought sourly pondering to himself._

"_What the. ." Syuusuke immediately bit his lips when he almost screamed and jump out in surprise when he felt the sudden sting in his feet. Swallowing back a grimace, he looked at his prey who didn't seem to have heard him much to his relief. "Stupid ants," he hissed in graved annoyance, glaring at the ants now marching down on an ant hill a few inches away from his place._

"_Seiichi! Keigo!!"_

_His attention was plucked away from the ants when he heard hurried footsteps and loud squealing noises. Giving the pestering species a final flick, Syuusuke once more peered from the bushes just in time to see one hyper Ryoma running out from the large mansion and onto the waiting arms of the smiling boy._

"_Awww!! Ryo chan missed me that much huh!" the smiling boy teased, pinching his bulging cheeks._

_Syuusuke felt the temperature around him drop. His eyes narrowed. Teeth sawing against each other in annoyance. _

_His mood soured even more when Ryoma smiled widely and death hugged his friend back._

"_You and Kei chan left me all alone." He pouted in mock anger earning a slight chuckle from the smiling boy._

_The 'diva' smirked in response ruffling the boys hair playfully making the latter yelp and swat the boys offending appendage away from his hair._

_Ryoma's mega watt smile soon died down though and that seemed to have intrigued the two even more. "Hey Ryo chan what's wrong?"_

"_Did something happen while ore sama was away?"_

_He shook his head. _

"_Clearly you take Ore sama as a fool to believe your obvious lie," Arrogant dude retorted with one raised brow._

_Ryoma looked at the boy and frowned. The smiling boy just did his thing and smiled, ruffling the boys hair playfully. "You've always been a bad liar Ryoma." He pouted back._

"_Don't tell me that Ryoga bullied you again. Because I swear I'd pound him to pieces if he did," the diva commented._

_The boy gasped a little and the two cursed._

"_Why I would. . ." Just as when those two were about to shot up from their seats, Ryoma had already taken a hold of their arms ceasing any attempt of them charging inside the house and pounding some sense into the wicked older brother of his._

_In his hiding place, Fuji was also fighting a losing battle, for he. himself wanted to hunt down the boy and castrate him._

"_He's not worth it," he said forlornly and the two just helplessly shared a look. Grudgingly they took their seats and tried to comfort the boy._

_Syuusuke's nostrils flared even more. What irked him that badly made him wonder as well. After all it wasn't an everyday occurrence for Fuji to feel angry about something which he thinks doesn't concern him that much._

_Half an hour later of numb legs and foul mood, Fuji's seemingly worst nightmare was finally over. As soon as he had spotted an opportunity he slipped away unnoticed. Arriving at the comforts of his own adobe, Syuusuke lazily plopped down his bed, the rotten springs of the mattress squeaking madly beneath him as it adjusted to his weight._

"_Damn rich kids. Some people just have all the luck."_

_Staring at the patched up ceiling blankly the emptiness resurfaced. _

_Looking at his scrumy looking apartment, he felt so little of himself._

_How could he even compare to those two. _

_Envy for those two boys started to well up. _

_And there was no stopping it. _

_And before he knew it there was already hatred._

* * *

_As for his parents Syuusuke was considerate enough to show and introduce himself to them. They were pleasant people. Bubbly and good natured. There was no air of arrogance warping them and for someone like Syuusuke it was a very, very good thing._

_He didn't need to pretend like he was someone else. He could just be himself and that's what matters the most._

_They weren't a bunch of hypocrites. Though they were basking in riches and fortune they weren't ones to boast about it. In fact when he first had the opportunity to meet Ryomas dad, he didn't know that he was the man of the house himself. Of course he wouldn't have thought that he's the head of the family based on the impression he gave on Syuusuke. With the monk like clothes and boorish attitude, well no one could really blame him._

_He could just imagine the embarrassment he had felt when he met Rinko and Nanjiroh, when Ryoma made the formal introductions. _

_Fuji sat by the luxurious four seater couch as he waited for Ryoma to come down from his room. According to the butler, the boy had just woken up and was currently taking his bath._

_He was offered to wait for the boy upstairs, but he politely declined since he felt more comfortable down here._

_Casually, he roamed his eyes around with his fingers drumming against his knees. _

_His eyes caught movement from the door and he stiffened. There was a shadow reflecting on the floor and in an instant he knew someone was hiding behind those doors and was obviously spying on him._

_He stood up and kept his eyes on the floor, keeping his eyes out for any sudden movement from the lurker._

_He heard a door closing, followed by footsteps, but that didn't distract him from his current task which is to track down and identify whoever it is that's peeping on him._

_Upon reaching the door, he saw the shadow shift. And before that unidentified person could escape, Fuji had already pounced on him, trapping him down the ground._

"_O—Oi gaki! Get off me!." Yelped the struggling person and Fuji smirked._

"_Tell me why you were observing me?" He inquired._

"_Nothing. . . .ITAI!!" he screamed when Fuji almost twisted his arms. The sadistic boy increased the pressure of his hold and the man started to struggle, thrashing around and hissing, all at the same time. "OKAY!. . . OKAY! Fine! I'll talk, just let me go."_

_Satisfied, Fuji stood up. He stared at the perpetrator with scrutinizing eyes, as he rolled over and sat on the floor. He had a knot permeating in his forehead as he stared back at Fuji. He graciously stood up, tucked his hands underneath his sleeves while walking around Fuji as if he was some kind of artifact displayed in a museum he had to observe._

_In return, Syuusuke also openly observed him. An old man who wears monk robes, stubbles adorning his chin and he would tend to scratch his stomach and head every now and then._

_He held back a grimace. There was even a folded up glossy magazine peeking from his sleeves and he felt disgusted when he caught sight of a bikini clad girl on its cover. Not only was he an un-hygienic old man, he is also a lecherous monk._

"_Oi oyaji, what are you doing?"_

_Both of them jumped at the sudden appearance of another person. Ryoma walked in and narrowed his eyes at the monk._

_He lazily scratched his head and yawned. "Oi seishounen I was just familiarizing myself with your pretty little buddy here. My son is actually starting to grow up. And lookie here you even managed to get yourself a very pretty friend."_

_Ryoma didn't smile. "You're acting like a total pervert again, aren't you? I'm going to tell mom."_

"_What are you going to tell me Ryoma chan," came a soft voice, and a brown haired lady emerged from the swinging doors. She looked at the three occupants of the room with interest. She was wearing her trusty apron over her home clothes, while wiping both her hands with a kitchen towel._

_Fuji's mind went black at that. 'Did this man just call himself Ryoma's father??' He paled at the thought._

_Nanjiroh seemed to have read his thoughts as his smirk widened. "That's right pretty young lady. I'm this little rascals father." He ruffled the boys hair making Ryoma scowl even more._

_Fuji cleared his throat. "A—Ano sumimasen, but. . . . .I'm not a girl."_

_The monk just raised his brows. _

"_Oyaji, he's a boy for pete's sake."_

_He didn't seem to believe it though. He was obviously skeptical about this new bit of information. "Are you really a boy? Hmmm such a pretty little thing you are then. In fact you are even prettier than my seishounen here," he said eyeing him suspiciously, making Ryoma roll his eyes._

_The old man, like how Ryoma loved to call him, teased him non stop not until Rinko, as she introduced herself to Fuji in the middle of Nanjiroh's annoying gushing and cooing of how pretty Ryoma is, snapped and whacked her husband with a rolled up newspaper._

"_Nanjiroh! Stop perving on the kid will you." She hissed._

_The old man just grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Hey Rinko chan I was just telling the truth. But I still think seishounen here is still the prettiest. . . ." before he could continue with whatever it is that he was saying he was already cut off when Rinko gave him another mighty whack on the head. "Aww Rinko chan what was that for?"_

"_How many times do I have to tell you not to treat your son like a girl! He __**IS**__ a boy for pete's sake."_

_Syuusuke's heart wrenched at the sight of the couple, bringing back the longing he had for his own family. Along with it was the growing feeling of resentment for his parents who heartlessly abandoned him. But at the back of his mind, he felt that he should actually feel thankful, for if it wasn't for their selfishness, he wouldn't have had the opportunity of meeting them._

_They were very warm towards him and treated him like family. Aside from himself the couple where the only ones who know about his attempt of evading any face to face meeting with their sons bestfriends. Of course it had been an instantaneous reaction for them to question his reasons. _

_Countless of times they tried to plot those 'chance' meetings, but they never once became successful in their attempts, because he was too slick to be caught off guard. _

_Soon enough they grew tired of the hide and seek and eventually gave up. After all, the brunette could sometimes be as stubborn as a rock that may even put their younger sons bratiness to shame. They just went along with Fuji's mind frame and respected the decisions he made._

_And for that he would forever be grateful._

_Indeed. _

_The Echizens are also his family._

* * *

**A/N: **Well folks I'd be ending this installment here for now. The next chapter would be up, I think when I receive a fair share of comments hehehe. . . so please do comment. I'd appreciate it very much.

Also please visit my newly improved profile. I posted the **links of the official poster **and **character chart for will of the heart**. If possible please do add your feedbacks on those as well . . .

No flames please.

Please comment. . . . . . .

Arigatou Gozaimasu. . . . . .


	17. Arc Two: Memoirs Part 3

**Will of the Heart**

_By: SamLien (SamanthaLienne)_

**Super Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama or any of its characters. I only take sole ownership to the plot and OC's that would be making their appearances in the later chapters. **

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, May contain OOC's, language too much cussing may not be advisable to read for those who are wary of profanities, violence**

**Pairing: YukimuraXEchizenXAtobe **implied **TezukaXFuji**

**Chapter dedicated to the following reviewers: **DemonGirl13, apocadelic, RuByMoOn17, .'.'.aMeThYsT-dArK.'.'., xcreepyxsusiex, abhorsen3

**A/N **As promised here's the last part of Fuji's past. . . . WOTH's been getting less and less reviews lately. I'm wondering if the story is getting too boring. Im starting to lose hope huhuhuhuhu. . . but yosh I won't give up. . Ganbatte!!

Pardon the grammatical errors and the incorrect spellings. Flashbacks and Dream sequence are in Italics while English words would be typed in bold. Thoughts are italicized and has single quotation marks enclosing it. Emphasized words between dialogues and paragraphs are italicized.

Hope You'd Enjoy Reading. . . .

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Seventeen**

_**Arc Two: Memoirs of a Long Forgotten Past 3(Revelation)**_

* * *

_Lastly he was able to meet 'the' older brother whom he immediately grew a dislike on upon their initial meeting. _

_Besides how could he ever forget the person who had terrified Ryoma on that fateful night that led the way for Ryoma and his path to finally meet._

_He somehow mistook the boy for Ryoma on one occasion for they look too much alike. Just like two peas in a pod. They had the same raven hair streaked with emerald tints. Those tantalizing golden cat like eyes. Cocky smirk that seem to challenge and infuriate those who's been at its receiving end. _

_But as days pass, one would become more aware of the differences between the two brothers. Those characteristics that makes them unique from one another._

_And it took Fuji only a few good side glances to know what differences those are. He was after all, a keen observer._

_For instance, he noted that Ryoma's hair is much shorter but looked shinier and softer. Akin to that of a satin or velvet. As for those amazing pair of eyes he noted that the younger ones eyes where rounder compared to Ryoga's which looked a lot sharper. The way they express their emotions in their eyes were also a total opposite of one another. While Ryomas orbs tend to soften when he's at peace, sparkle when he's happy, turn like a shade of blazing fire when he's mad, angry, annoyed or whatever negative feeling you can think of._

_As for Ryoga he couldn't see anything else other than mischief. A few times he saw resentment. It seems that though his face may show various emotions his eyes betrays his true feelings. It's as though his eyes are only able to harbor two kinds of emotions. _

_And whenever their gazes would meet, only one thing comes to Fuji's mind. The boy is up to no good. Because of that, a heavy feeling always resurges in his heart whenever he sees Ryoga nearby._

"_Damn bastard," is what he often called the annoying older brother. But he made sure the boy wouldn't know he was being called by such a name. The older Echizen brother could be a big pain in the butt when he really wants to and Fuji already has enough to make his mind go berserk. _

_His face, according to Fuji's observation, mirrored someone who has a knack for starting trouble. And his deduction had been proven by the bastard himself on several instances._

_His animosity towards the latter intensified when he saw him bullying Ryoma on several occasions. It seems that he really takes joy in seeing the younger one suffer by his hands._

_Fuji may be a sadist but he isn't a masochist._

_He had also been on the receiving end of that odd behavior the older Echizen brother possesses. And one of those instances where pretty nasty making him hang around a hospital for several days for some nasty cuts and bruises._

* * *

_Syuusuke was currently by the nurses station taking care of his release papers when Ryoma had arrived. He mentally cursed himself. He wanted to make a quiet exit so he decided not to inform him of his decision that he would arrange for his discharge from the hospital that afternoon._

_He even made a plan for this but it seems that everything just backfired, and Ryoma standing there with a not so happy pout in his face is just more than enough proof that his plan had just been shamelessly flushed down the drain. _

_Five days had already passed since he was admitted into the hospital because of some accident that had happened during his visit with Ryoma. A very unpleasant visit._

_He 'accidentally' slipped and hit his head on the edge of the swimming pool. After catapulting into the empty pool, with water sucked out for the pools weekly cleaning and maintenance, he broke his arm as it bumped against the tiled floor._

_Dying in such undignified manner wasn't in his plans but at this rate he may meet his early demise if incidents like this would keep on happening to him. Its like lady luck wasn't in his hand at this round._

_He was already writhing in pain when he saw the smug looking Ryoga standing at the edge of the pool. Fuji felt his blood boil, momentarily forgetting the bitching pain in his arm and head._

"_Fancy seeing you there Fuji," he smirked arrogantly and I really wanted to get up there and rip his annoying face to pieces._

'_Kami, how can you give Ryoma such a bastard for an older brother' he thought solemnly, making sure he gives the walking devil a good glare._

_But he didn't seem to be the least affected for he just laughed even more. 'This guy is really pushing my buttons' Syuusuke gritted his teeth in anger._

_Ryoga waved his hand in the air and chuckled. "Well I'll be going then pretty boy. See you around." He turned to leave but not without throwing Fuji another sidelong glance meant to irk the brunettes temper up another notch. "By the way a sane person wouldn't actually dive in an empty pool. I just thought you might wanna know that."_

_Not soon afterwards, Ryoma came and began screaming for help when he saw the brunette's current state. But he was too busy cooking up his plan for revenge to even hear Ryoma's hysterics that time._

_Biting back a sigh he readied a smile when he turned around to face the boy._

"_What are you doing here and out of your bed? You should be resting right now," he admonished like a mother scolding her child._

"_Im taking care of my discharge papers." He informed nodding towards the nurse when she asked something._

_A knot permeated itself on Ryoma's forehead. "But. . . ."_

_He forced another smile. "Ryoma I'm fine. No reason to fuss over me that much okay."_

"_No you should stay. What if your arm isn't healed yet? What if it gets worse? What if something bad happens to you because of that??" He fired out._

_Clucking his tongue, he gently nudged the boys shoulder. "I already told you Ryo chan. I'm fine." He tried to move his arm. "See I can move my arm. I just need to rest at HOME. I'd get more sick if I stay cooped up in that hospital room."_

_Ryoma frowned not bothering to hide his annoyance.. _

'_Oh boy here we go again' he inwardly sighed knowing that he's in for a very long discussion especially when Ryoma is in one of his opinionated self mode who wont budge and will fight tooth and nail just to show he's right._

_Just then, he saw a young girl, who look only a couple of years older than him, approach the nurses station with a man and woman, probably her parents apparent from the similarities of their facial structure._

_The supposed mom talked to the nurse while the younger version promptly looked at Fuji's direction. _

_Just when their eyes momentarily clashed against one another, he felt his heart jump._

_He felt like there was something about them that wants to draw him near. An unusual feeling of emptiness and longing washed through him like a surge of electricity. _

_There was this some sort of connection between each one of them._

"_Hey Syuusuke are you listening?."_

_Fuji immediately tore his eyes away from the trio and glanced at Ryoma who now looked furious. He gulped._

"_So I was right," he looked hurt that made him want to kick himself for being such an ass. "You weren't paying attention to whatever it is that I was saying. Syuusuke why are you always like that! You really don't seem to care about anything," Ryoma's face was now a brilliant shade of red._

_They were already causing a commotion and catching everyone's attention._

_There were faint whispers and annoying looks boring down on his back._

_He was too busy thinking of a way to get himself out of this mess that he didn't notice the reaction of the older woman he was looking at earlier. There were trickle of fresh tears coursing down her cheeks, her hand clamping her mouth to muffle her sobs. A look of disbelief and joy evident on her face. Meanwhile her husband, looked aghast._

_And before Syuusuke could become aware of the unfathomable attention he had elicited from the couple he already found himself being crushed against a warm body._

_For a while he was rooted and frozen in his place not knowing how he should react in this kind of situation. _

_Here he was trying to find escape, fueled his bestfriends anger and now he was being hugged by some random stranger and he wasn't even doing anything about it. _

_Maybe because he didn't feel like doing anything at all. It felt like being hugged by this unknown person is just a normal thing. Somehow it just felt right._

_Maybe Ryoma was right. With the things that his mind is conjuring right now it seems that he finally lost it. He maybe unfit to leave the hospital. Maybe he still has a far bigger problem than what the doctors says. _

"_Oh my god did you hear that anata? Syuusuke. . . its syuusuke." She cried, further crushing the boy in her arms like he was a new found doll._

"_A-Ano. . ."_

_The man, though he looked happy, he seemed to be trying to be more composed and critical about things as he tried to talk to his wife._

"_Anata don't start jumping to conclusions now okay. We have been in this kind of situation dozen of times now. Who knows maybe he still ain't the boy we're looking for and you'd just get disappointed in the end once again." He sighed deeply._

"_I can feel it. I know I'm right this time. . . . I just know it."_

"_Anata. . . ."_

_She simply ignored him, all but focusing her eyes on the boy before her. She tucked his stray hair at the crook of his ear and ran her fingers gently on the contours of his face as if she was familiarizing herself with his facial features._

"_What is your name again young man?" She asked in a soft spoken voice that enchanted Fuji's senses. It felt soothing._

_But still the question almost made Fuji frown. Didn't this woman know the proper way of introducing and getting to know someone. Isn't it supposed to be asking the name first before acting all cuddly and hugging around some people you don't even know._

_Sadly, this said woman might have forgotten all about it._

_Sighing, he just answered, not wanting to make this story go on any longer. For now he just wants to go home. "Fuji. . . . Fuji Syuusuke."_

_Their eyes widened at that, making Fuji even more confused and somewhat rattled. "Why? Did I say something wrong?"_

_The couple just shared a look and the brunette noticed another fresh batch of tears brimming at the cantus of the woman's eyes while her husband simply ran his finger along his eye which was already misting as well at that point._

_The girl who seemed just as fazed as Fuji was, tugged her fathers coat while she has that strange look in her face, bordering from that of wariness and hope? _

"_Dad what's going on? Who is that boy?" her fingers pointed at his direction._

_The man ruffled his daughters hair and hoisted her up his shoulders making the young one squeal in delight. "Yumiko he is. . . ."_

"_Your brother."_

_Fuji just felt his jaw literally unscrew and drop down the floor._

* * *

_He didn't know what he did to deserve something like this._

_He couldn't remember someone he had aggravated or done something wrong to._

_So why? Why in seven hells did he have to suffer such a life._

_Not that he was complaining or anything. Besides who was he to complain._

_He was abandoned and now there are these two people claiming to be his real parents. And surprise, surprise he even has an older sister who is now currently undergoing Fuji in her psychotic way of looking at someone. The way her eyes seem to examine every inch of his face made goose bumps crawl underneath his skin._

_He quickly diverted his eyes away from her, fearing that he might finally loose all sanity that's left in him if he keep on minding her creepiness. _

_Briefly, Fuji side glanced at his bestfriend who merely snorted back at him. _

_Ryoma didn't help him at all. The golden eyed boy just eyed him in annoyance, obviously expecting some explanation from him. _

'_Heck how can I even explain this thing when I myself don't even know what the hell is going on' he quickly retaliated in his mind._

_Syuusuke was starting to feel suffocated by the tension around them. Idly, he swirled his plastic bendy straw in his orange juice trying to divert his attention and ease the tension in his system. His eyes flickered back and forth amongst the occupants of the table as if he was being possessed._

_It was supposed to be a cafeteria, where Ryoma had managed to drag them all down, and yet it felt like this is an execution chamber and he was just waiting for his turn to be electrocuted to death._

_He shivered at the thought._

_No one made an attempt to open up a conversation. Each one of them just minded their own businesses, either taking sneak peeks on Fuji or mutilating the food on their plates._

_The grip he had on his disposable fork tightened as he continued poking his cake. It had been pierced too many times that it was beyond recognizable already. If it wasn't for the icing scattered messily on the plate no one would have ever thought it was food._

"_E-Excuse me but are you guys insane?" I bit my tongue at that. Okay so the cat was finally out of the bag. He just needed to say that, after all it was the first thing that had popped in his head. No reason for him to hold back and look like a total hypocrite._

_His 'sisters' eyebrows quirked up, seemingly amused with what he had just said. Normally someone who had just been called insane would retaliate but none of these people seemed like the average person you'd be meeting everyday._

_The one who is supposedly his mom just smiled warmly, and Fuji felt a sudden tightening in his chest. That smile definitely tugged at his heartstrings. "I know that what we're telling you now is something which people would consider something hard to believe. It may appear as a scam or lie to get at you. But it isn't a lie at all. Please believe us."_

_His brows knotted in a skeptical way. "Then how I can I be assured that you're not just a bunch of gold diggers or one of those cold blooded hooligans out there hmm?" he huffed testily. _

_The man looked grim. "Your grandma is against my relationship with your mom. She has someone else in mind for me to marry but we disobeyed her and decided to run away. We had our first child, your sister Yumiko and a few years later your mother gave birth to you. You were born a sickly child so you're constantly being hospitalized. Then one day, when you suffered pneumonia a doctor said you didn't survive."_

_There was a slight sniffle from the woman and Mr. Fuji, ran a soothing hand across his wife's back._

"_He said that your condition was much worse than they would have thought. A virus had been detected in your system and so you were immediately cremated after your death, to prevent the virus from spreading and possibly infecting the rest of the patients. And after all these years we lived with that lie, not knowing that you're only a few countries away from us. Still alive and breathing."_

_A lump formed in his throat which he immediately cleared up. "Then, two years ago I accidentally overheard your grandma talking to someone on the phone telling that person about the disposal of a child. I confronted her about it. Caught right handed, she did nothing but to confess that she actually gave you away and attempted to get rid of you." _

_Resentment began to bubble up inside his heart, with his fists clenching tighter and tighter on top of the table._

"_I don't know what I did wrong for her to do something like that to her own grandchild," Mrs. Fuji cried at that mournfully._

"_She may be my mother but I wouldn't stand for her to keep on controlling our lives," he said in between clenched teeth. "We went in search for you but you already left with the people who was paid by your grandmother. It was not until last week that a private investigator we had hired found out that you traveled here in New York. Your grandmother even insisted to come with us."_

_Ryoma's stern demeanor did not change but Fuji noticed that there was pity in his eyes. He sighed._

_He didn't need to hear more of this, for somewhere in his heart, he knew that this is the truth that they had all been deprived of for so long. Each one of them had already suffered enough. Guess it was time to start anew._

_From the moment he heard those words about a child from the father he had came to know when he was a child, Fuji knew that something was definitely amiss. The setting in their family was something out of the ordinary. He couldn't quite feel the connection between the people whom he had been considering as his parents. Actually he didn't see any love or even a small hint of affection._

_Everytime he celebrates his birthday, though it was a special day especially for a kid like Fuji, they just treated it like any ordinary day. They won't even greet him a simple "Happy Birthday son", instead they seem to become harsher on that very special day in his life. But Fuji just kept quiet._

_So, this explains their coldness towards him all this time. Their un-ending fights. Their maltreatment, treating him like a mere punching bag that they could just kick and punch around whenever they feel like doing so._

_How could he find that love when in fact they really aren't romantically involved and what binds them is just their personal interests. Fuji was nothing more than a business deal. No more no less. No emotion was involved in the first place._

_He had to admit, they were pretty good liars._

_But entailing those thoughts Fuji felt anger for the grandmother that he still hasn't met. _

"_Where i—is she? My-My grand-grandmother," voice cracking up Fuji questioned them._

_The couple shared a look. "She suffered a heart attack three days ago, and has been confined in this hospital as well."_

_Uneasiness knotted his stomach and he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. After a while with sheer determination, he looked up again and faced them defiantly._

"_I would like to see her."_

* * *

_He had never been this nervous. The agitation almost making him hurl out everything in his stomach. The churning of his insides intensified as they quietly stopped in front of the door. _

_For a while, they just stood there. Not one of them made a move to open the door and just stared at it like it was going to open itself. It was then that Ryoma finally spoke up, effectively pushing away at least a bit of their uneasiness._

"_Neh Syuusuke isn't that your room?"_

_He followed the direction were the boy was pointing at and true enough, just beside the door they were now in front of is indeed the room that had sheltered him during his stay here in the hospital. Well some coincidence. Maybe it was already fates will that made their paths to finally wind across each other._

_With just one look, he already knew that the same thought was running through their heads._

_Fate can really be a bitch at times. And as much as he hated to admit it, no one can ever stop whatever has been in stored for us no matter how much we try to. That's just the way things go. It is nature's course. It moves in any way it wants to._

_Someone tugged his sleeves and he saw his sister, Yumiko, smile at him brightly while latching her arms with his securely._

_He couldn't help but smile at her actions. It was sort of sweet and he suddenly felt something warm brush against his heart._

"_Syuu chan," he noticed how Ryoma frowned at the nickname. After all, the little prince was the first one who actually got to call him that and he was the only one privileged to address him that way. But it seems that he finally earned himself some competition. Syuusuke inwardly smiled at the thought. "Come on lets come inside. I'm sure grandma would be very thrilled to see you," she beamed at him while on her way in pushing the door open._

_His smile turned lopsided and he helplessly threw his parents a pleading look. They just smiled and followed with the grumpy Ryoma trailing behind._

_The room, though at was in the same section he was in, it was definitely like the one he had been occupying this past few days. True, Ryoma's family had offered to give him financial assistance but being the stubborn kid that he is, he obviously declined the help they were giving him. _

_Well, their rooms were obviously of the same color and that is where the similarity ends. Aside from the wall color, there was nothing else that matched his room. In fact, the moment he stepped inside, he thought he wasn't in a hospital room at all. It was like a presidential suite in a five star hotel._

_Everything, the appliances, the furniture. . . everything looked so expensive. _

_He tried to hold back his frown, feeling a little disappointed that these people actually waste that much money just to pamper themselves in their luxurious whims. There was a sudden thug in his arm and he found Yumiko staring at him. _

_His eyes searched for his bestfriend, and found the boy leaning by the wall near the door. He was too busy glaring at the window, which was on the other side of the wall he was leaning at, to even feel Fuji's blatant stares._

_The boy briefly looked at him just to end up looking in a different direction when their eyes met. Ryoma snorted a little and Fuji saw the boy fished out his cap from his back pack strapped on his shoulders before ramming it down his head._

_He felt his heart got caught in his throat when he saw Ryoma walking towards him. Slowly, step by step. He felt like a prey who had jut been trapped by his predator. The thought almost made him whimper. Of all the people who could actually get mad at him, it just had to be Ryoma._

_The boys lips was pursed into a thin line. "I'll be going now. Kei chan and Sei chan would be coming over today. They might be waiting for me already."_

_The brunette didn't comment on that, forcing himself not to drag the boy and lock him up in a closet just so he wouldn't meet those two. As a response, he just managed to give out a brief nod not wanting to cave in to himself._

_Ryoma narrowed his eyes at him before he politely inclined his head towards the couple who were watching the whole exchange, before he turned around, walked out the door and slid the door shut._

'_Okay. . . now what' he thought bemusedly turning around to see the others waiting for him to join them by the bedside. He sighed. 'This is going to be a long day after all.'_

* * *

_Sigh._

_Twitch._

_Another sigh._

"_Neh Syuusuke can you stop doing that already?!," came Yumiko's annoyed voice. "Its really annoying."_

_From the corner of his eyes he saw hair frowning as she sat by the couch with a hard bound book sitting on her lap. For the umpteenth time that morning he almost sighed again if it wasn't for the warning glance Yumiko sent over his direction. Dejected, Syuusuke turned back his attention outside the window. He was currently sitting by the wooden bench mounted beside the window and feeling absolutely, positively. . . . BORED._

_A week has already passed since he moved in the Fuji mansion here in New York. A week of trying to grow accustomed with his new surroundings. His new life. _

_To put it mildly, the atmosphere was tense during his first few days. His grandmother, he occasionally visits due to Yumiko's persistence, seemed to be a little wary and awkward around him. But lately she's showing signs that she's slowly warming up to the young Fuji, an occurrence that made the brunette extremely happy. _

_Aside from trying not to run back to his deteriorating apartment and finding things that would subjugate his boredom, he was also occupied on worrying about Ryoma. He hadn't seen the light of the boy eversince that day in the hospital. Hundreds of times, he wanted to teleport himself to Ryoma's house and have a serious talk with him. But during those times, fright weighed more and he just goes back in his room and wallow in self pity._

"_He must be very mad at me" he murmured sinking further in his seat._

"_You know no one's stopping you from seeing him Syuusuke."_

_Sigh._

_Yumiko glared._

_He raised his hands in defense. "What?! I just had to do that you know. It's not like sighing is illegal." Sarcasm much._

"_Now you're acting like a pompous jerk." She sniveled._

_Sigh._

"_I'm sorry," he apologized._

"_I know how much you miss him Syuusuke. Take it from me, you should just go see him before its too late. You know we'll be leaving for Japan in a few days and it might take a long time before you'd be able to see him again. And by that time he may really start hating you for not bothering to explain yourself to him."_

_He blinked. 'That sounded like it came from a very old person' he thought grimly._

_Maybe he should really go see him. Pride be damned._

* * *

_The night was still. Just outside, the wind was blowing at a steady rhythm rustling the leaves of nearby trees. The thin branches sticking out from its formidable body, was swaying along and every now and then taps along his bedrooms' glass window. The clear light being shed by the round full moon high up in the dark night sky creeps across the partitions of the draperies._

_It was dead silent, aside from the occasional noises by the owl perched on the tree outside and his clock ticking by on top of his bedside table. _

_As seconds, minutes rolled by, Syuusuke tossed and turned in his bed unable to shut his eyes and get his well needed sleep. Finally giving up, he rose up and leaned against the headboard giving out a sigh of annoyance. He mussed his hair before he reached out and flicked the lamps open. _

_10:00. The clock read._

_As he sat there, motionless, he recalled the conversation he had with his sister earlier._

"_. . . . you should just go see him before its too late."_

_He didn't know why but for some reason he could not fathom, those words gave him the creeps. And as he reminisce it right now he could still feel chills running up and down his spine. _

_He kept glancing at his clock, uneasiness settling down his stomach. _

"_. . . .you should just go see him before its too late."_

"_. . . .Too late."_

_He pursed his lips as those spoken words kept replaying in his mind like a broken record. It was starting to grate on his nerves. And he was not too happy about it. And for the umpteenth time those words echoed in his head he finally gave up in frustration. Kicking the covers away from him, he stepped out of his bed and walked over to his closet to change._

_In record time he was already wearing his coat, which he grabbed from the rack, and tiptoeing out of his room. He carefully slipped out making sure not to me make any unnecessary noises. He'd surely get some serious lecturing when he gets caught sneaking out in the middle of the night. _

_Hiding from one tree to another he neared the large gates unnoticed._

"_You go check in there."_

_With a gasp of surprise he immediately ducked, and dove for cover when patrolling guards suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He could literally feel his heart thundering in his chest. He nearly got caught when the flashlight came across the top of his head. Thankfully, they didn't seem to notice._

'_Thank God' He thought with a sigh. Once the two disappeared on the corner he began moving again. Inching nearer towards the exit. Taking a small peak out of the bushes he saw that no one was sitting on the concrete station beside the main gate. Quickly, he straightened out and dashed towards it. To his luck, it wasn't locked. He used the smaller gate and closed it back afterwards as if no one ever touched in the first place._

"_Ah freedom!!" grinning idiotically, he spread his arms and spun around lavishing in the dampness of night air blowing past him._

_Once he finally relaxed, he started walking down the road just several blocks away from the Echizens. He tucked his hands inside his coats pocket and gazed up at the stars while walking silently. It felt kind of weird to be walking all alone in the middle of the night. He passed by a lamp post with a light bulb threatening to die down._

_Just a few houses away and he could already see the top floor of the grand Echizen mansion. He stopped, gazing at the majestic structure with admiration. He haven't realized how much he truly missed his visits there up until now. But just as when he was about to walk over to the large metal gates, fear assaulted him. Not the kind of fear he had when he was thinking of the violence Ryoma may show upon their 'reunion'. It was more of like. . . . dread? Apprehension of something much morbid than what he had in mind._

"_Snap out of it baka," he joked himself trying to shake the tension of._

_Just then he saw a dark figure lurking by the shadows not far from the keigo manor which was near the Echizen's. Goosebumps crawled up underneath his skin once again. And this time the fear was much more intense than before._

_Without thinking twice he marched right towards the gate of the Echizen mansion only to find it unlocked. He gently pushed it open, gulping down the lump that had formed in his throat. The aura that had greeted him was hostile silence, until a shrill scream came echoing out of nowhere._

_Adrenaline kicked in and before he knew it he was already inside the house where chaos instantaneously greeted him. Rinko was thrashing away from Nanjiroh's grasp while having serious fits of hysteria. Gulping, he meekly approached the two. The samurai immediately spotted him and his eyes looked more pained._

"_uncle. . . . whe. . . where's Ryo chan?" _

_Rinko wailed even more. _

"_He's in the hospital Syuu kun," Nanjiroh voiced out bitterly._

_The world seemed to collapse around him. "Wh—What do you mean??"_

"_He's been shot Syuusuke. He was already brought to the hospital and god knows the brat is fighting for his life right at this very minute. . . . He went over to Keigo's house earlier for a sleep over but just half an hour ago there where gunshots. Ryoma was shot. . . he's been shot. . ."_

_The butler stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on young Syuusukes shoulder. Such harsh news was far too much for him to handle. __**"Don't worry Syuusuke. The young master is strong. He'll be fine before we know it." **__He assured with a strained smile._

_But his mind couldn't absorb anything anymore. It was like it shut down from him completely. Voices echoed in his head. The world around him turned hazy. His vision blurred. And before he knew it everything turned blank, finally succumbing to the world of endless darkness._

* * *

"_Neh Syuusuke. . . ." the golden eyed boy turned to him with a smile. They were sitting on the grassy meadows while watching the sunset._

"_Hmmm. . ." he hummed while tucking the stray hair flailing at the side of his face._

"_I'm sorry. . . ." his smile slowly dissipated into a sorrowful frown._

"_Ryoma. . ." _

_He reached out for him but no matter what he did, Ryoma seemed to grow farther and farther away from him. The world around them turned dim, until it turned into nothing but pure black. Ryoma faded, leaving him falling down the floor, crying in deep agony._

"_I'm sorry Syuusuke. . ."_

"_NOOOOO!!" _

_He woke up screaming from the nightmare that dare to cast darkness in his sleep. From that point on he never left Ryoma's side again. He stayed so close beside him. Not even hunger or sleep can pull him away from doting the comatose boy with attention. _

_Seeing Ryoma lying there looking so helpless brought him fear. He felt like the minute he blinks, Ryoma would just disappear and he would once again, be left alone. The boy is someone he can never live without. That was something he had just realized. He's as valuable as life itself or maybe, so much more._

_Along the way he enclosed himself in a wall no one strong enough could ever penetrate. He resolved into building a world of his own, not wanting to acknowledge anything else that's going on around him. In this world he had created, only him and Ryoma exists. And no one else is there to hurt them. He would protect Ryoma from the evil of this world. He would save him just like the way he had saved him from his miserable life._

_He was forced to let go several times but he just ends up coming back. And it seems that they've finally given up. _

_Finally, he could be with Ryoma in peace. And no one else would be there to separate and come between them any longer._

* * *

_Nanjiroh stood by the doorway, fidgeting uneasily. He's been watching Syuusuke for a while now as the boy continued caressing his sons hair while murmuring words every now and then. He shivered when he saw the hollow look in his eyes. He had never seen the boy so. . lifeless._

_Mussing his hair in pent up frustration he tucked his hands underneath his sleeves and looked at his wife who was sitting by the couch on the other side of the room. Beside her was Fuji's mother, Michiko and father, Ren. They looked worn out for not being able to get a proper amount of shut eye ever since the shooting incident had happened._

_He pitied those two for getting dragged in this mess when they're not supposed to get involved in the first place._

_Casting another wary glance towards the bedside he walked over to his wife in silence. _

"_I'm worried about Syuusuke kun," Rinko voiced out of nowhere. She had that solemn look in her face._

"_Ditto."_

_Silence._

_He turned towards the Fuji couple. "Maybe it would be best for Syuu kun's welfare if you'd bring him somewhere that can make him relax. A vacation in the Bahamas perhaps," he joked lamely, but turned completely serious afterwards. "I don't think it would do him any good if he'd continued being like this. He's still a kid after all. This kind of pressure and stress isn't something he can handle for so long. He's bound to breakdown sooner or later."_

_Michiko's shoulders slumped, while Ren patted her shoulder in a comforting manner. "Thank you for the concern Nanjiroh."_

_He scratched his head. "Nah, it's no big deal. Syuu kun's like a family to us already anyway. So it's natural for us to care about his welfare as well. Besides I don't think it's not necessary for us to drag you in our own mess in the first place."_

"_But. . ."_

_He gave them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, my son is a strong kid. He'd surely get through this in one piece."_

_Ren nodded and soothed his weeping wife._

_He looked at two kids who where both unmindful of the presence of the adults in the room._

"_Syuusuke kun. I hope you'd understand why I did this. It's for your own good. You're a good kid. I know there's something bright ahead of you. You just need to cast aside the darkness enshrouding your heart. There are far greater things that life can offer you. Don't let us bind you here any longer. Forget about Ryoma. . . .Forget about us. And if time comes and your paths cross each other again, maybe its destinies calling then." He murmured to himself and wordlessly left the room._

_Yes. This is for the best._

_Hopefully it is the right decision. Or he'd end up regretting it for the rest of his life_

* * *

_But what seemed to be the best option for Nanjiroh didn't turn out to be what he had been hoping for. The loss was something Syuusuke couldn't bear. It may have turned out to be nothing but a double edged sword. True, the boy may have been stirred away from any lurking danger but on the other hand Syuusuke took the blow of being separated from Ryoma much worse. _

_He didn't respond to anyone around him. He didn't talk. Didn't eat nor drink. His health was starting to deteriorate bit by bit and it was like torture to his parents. Watching their son destroy himself and live like nothing but an empty cocoon—an empty shell. _

"_Let me out!! Okaasan!! Outousan!! Nee san!!" the door was banged loudly followed by several screams._

_Michiko bit her lips, fighting the urge to cry. But it was of no use. She ended up shedding tears in the arms of her husband who was also trying to toughen himself up and not end up bursting into tears like his wife. At times like this he must remain firm and strong or else their family would completely fall apart._

"_Let me out!!"_

"_Oh God! Ren what are we going to do?! We can't let Syuusuke keep living like this," she weeps in despair clutching onto his shirt like her whole life depended on it._

_No comforting words were voiced out. In his ears, such words ended up sounded like nothing but lies._

"_Let me out!! Ryoma!! Ryoma needs me!!"_

_The screams continued like it was a broken record. Minutes. . . Hours passed. And silence resurfaced again. Everything was once again calm. _

_Yumiko entered the kitchen by then. "Okaasan can I bring Syuusuke some food. I think he's hungry from all those screaming he's been doing a while ago."_

_She nodded and the girl grabbed a tray filled it up with some sandwiches and a glass of milk._

_Once she disappeared from their sight Michiko turned to her husband with a questioning look in her eyes. "Ren, don't you think we should bring Syuusuke to a doctor?"_

_Ren's eyes darkened. "Are you saying that our son's turning into a psycho?"_

_She shook her head profusely and was about to say something in response but she was cut off when a scream echoed around the house. They caught each others eyes before they broke into a mad dash upstairs where they saw Yumiko standing by Syuusuke's opened doorway with the tray she was holding earlier fallen down the floor. Food were strewn all over, the milk seeping along the wooden floors. _

_Michiko immediately went over to hug her daughter who was trembling violently, while Ren went inside the room only to be left taking hasty steps backward. Tumbling down the floor in a helpless heap, Michiko peaked inside only to end up giving a horrified scream._

_There in the middle of the room lay her son. Syuusuke. Soaking in the puddle of his own blood, gushing out from the slash on his wrist._

_Breaking out from his stupor Ren stood up and called for an ambulance._

_Things definitely are starting to turn for the worst._

_And how long this may take . . only God knows._

* * *

_The scenario repeated itself over and over. It took a pause when Yuuta returned from the states where he was left to live with their grandparents on their mothers side. Syuusuke showered the child with attention. But on his first year in junior high the tragedy repeated and they all thought he was dead when they found him almost lifeless in his room. Luckily, he had skipped death as well. After that, the brunette seemed to have been handling his misery much better than before._

_He opened up to other people. Gained friends. Immersed himself in tennis. Got himself a boyfriend. _

_But now the past seemed to be catching up to Syuusuke once more._

_With the return of Ryoma Echizen in his life._

_With the return of a love he once lost._

* * *

A bitter smile crossed his lips.

"Ryoma. . . ."

With one last longing look cast upon the starry sky, the tensai walked back and stepped into the darkness.

* * *

**A/N: **yay! I finally finished this chappie yatta!! whew. . . . . Sorry if there are errors in spelling and grammar everyone. This version is unrevised.

Anyways to all those who have been anticipating the arrival of my newest fanfic well there are more infos posted up in my profiles page. You can view the teaser video which shows the primary characters. Or give a click on the Poster and Character Chart I have provided as well.

Thank you for Reading this chapter minna san. And please do leave comments. I'd greatly appreciate it.

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